From Beyond Visions
by The Lost Girl 21
Summary: Bella didn't survive childbirth, and now the Cullens and the wolves have to deal with the repercussions… But when Alice starts having unusual visions, they will have to make a choice that will change their family forever... WARNING: CHARACTER DEATH.
1. Introduction

**From Beyond V****isions…**

by _The Lost Girl_

_SPOILERS:_ Everything up to Book Three of "Breaking Dawn".

_SUMMARY:_ Bella didn't survive childbirth, and now the Cullens and the wolves have to deal with the repercussions… But when Alice starts having unusual visions, they will have to make a choice that will change their family, and their perception of themselves, forever…

_DISCLAIMERS:_ All the characters in the story belong to Stephanie Meyer and whoever else has the right on the Twilight series.

_AUTHOR'S NOTE:_ Please keep in mind that I strongly believe that suicide/death is NEVER the answer. This is a work of fiction, and fiction alone. If you suffer from depression, or are having any kind of suicidal thoughts, I strongly suggest that you read something else, and seek help in your community (friends, family, psychologist, doctor, etc.). Thank you! : )

* * *

**From Beyond V****isions…**

**Introduction**

**(**_Everything in italic at the beginning is __**from page 359 and 360 of "Breaking Dawn"**_**).**

_The murderer stared past Rosalie's shoulder at me, its gaze more focused than any newborn creature's__ gaze should be._

_Warm brown eyes, the color of milk chocolate – the exact same color that Bella's had been._

_My shaking jerked to a stop; heat flooded through me, stronger than before, but it was a new kind of heat – not a burning._

_It was a glowing._

_Everything inside me came undone as I stared at the tiny porcelain face of the half-vampire, half-human baby. All the lines that held me to my life were sliced apart in swift cuts, like clipping the strings to a bunch of balloons. Everything that made me who I was – my love for the dead girl upstairs, my love for my father, my loyalty to my new pack, the love for my other brothers, my hatred for my enemies, my home, my name, my __**self**__ – disconnected from me in that second – __**snip, snip, snip**__ – and floated up into space._

_I was not left drifting. A new string held me where I was._

_Not one string, but a million. Not strings, but steel cables. A million steel cables all tying me to one thing – to the very center of the universe._

_I could see that now – how the universe swirled around this one point. I'd never seen the symmetry of the universe before, but now it was plain._

_The gravity of the earth no longer tied me to the place where I stood._

_It was the baby girl in the blood vampire's arms that held me here now._

_Renesmee._

_From upstairs, there was a new sound. The only sound that could touch me in this endless instant._

A cry so horrifying, so filled with pain, that my own heart caught in my chest, then hurt as if some demon was trying to tear it apart.

At the sound of that inhuman wail, Rosalie spun around eyes wide and fearful, and looked in the direction of the stairs from where the sound came.

Alice fell on the floor sobbing, and repeating "I can't see her anymore… She's gone… Jasper… Edward…"

Jasper? That's when I saw him… Huddled in some corner of the room, his whole body shaking violently, his breathing erratic, as if his whole being was somehow being suffocated.

It could only mean one thing… As if she had read my thoughts, Renesmee started crying, echoing the pained cries of her father upstairs…

Her distress hit me like a brick wall, waking me up from my own shock and stupor. I immediately grabbed Jasper, easily lifting him in my arms, and ran outside as fast as I could to my pack.

Seth was beside me in an instant, followed by his sister.

"What happened to him? Where's Edward? Is Bella okay? Jake, what's going on…" I ignored all of their questions, trying to get Jasper to snap out of it, hoping that the distance I just put between the house and ourselves would be enough for him to come back to his senses…

Finally, the shaking did subside, and intelligence began to return to his eyes… _Good, I need you to focus…_ I thought, then realised that he didn't share his brother's ability, and wouldn't hear my thoughts unless I spoke them. Stupid vampires… Couldn't they just have one set of rules?

"Jasper, breathe, just calm down…" I didn't get the time to say anything else that the blond vampire was already in motion, ready to pounce and trying to run back to the house from which he just came.

_Damnit_ "Seth! Leah! Restrain him!" I yelled, grateful that they didn't question my order, and managed to hold Jasper into place as he trashed and tried to get away, but without any real focus or intent.

"Alice… You have to let me go back! She's in pain! I have to get back to her!" he half-screamed, half-sobbed, though no tears could fall from his eyes. Finally, after a few seconds, he gave up and just lay on the ground, trembling…

"Jake… I know what just happened between you and Renesmee… If it was her from whom I was asking you to stay away… What would you do?" he pleaded, looking deep into my eyes for any sign of understanding. My gaze softened and I knelt down right next to him…

"That's why I won't let you go back… Your mate would probably kill me if I did…" I said, smiling a little while remembering just how fierce that little pixie could look in a fight "…The pain in that house is too raw and too strong for you to withstand right now… Edward needs Alice, she's probably the only one who can keep him from doing anything stupid right now… And I need someone who can track down Carlisle, Emmett and Esme fast. Can you do that?" I asked, motioning to Seth and Leah to let him go.

Jasper sat up, rubbing his arms, seeming to ponder what I'd just said… From the corner of my eyes, I could see that Seth was crying, having finally understood what this was all about. Even Leah looked sad. She'd never been a fan of the Cullens, but she knew how it felt to lose someone you loved. She wouldn't wish it upon anyone, even if that person happened to be a leech.

"Jasper, Bella is gone, Edward is in pieces… You heard him, you _felt_ him… Now you guys may be over a hundred years old, but the person he probably needs the most right now is his father… Get Carlisle, then come back as fast as you can. I swear on my life to protect your family… _Our_ family, the best I can until you do. Alright? Trust me…"

For a second, Jasper kept his gaze locked on mine, then nodded, sensing the truth behind my words. When I imprinted on Renesmee, it had healed my soul of any hate or resentment I may have felt towards him, or his family. Renesmee was now my own personal angel, my world, my responsibility. If her happiness resided with the Cullens, then so did mine. And I was willing to fight my way through Hell and back before I let anything happen to any of them.

Then the impossible happened. Jasper hugged me! I mean he truly _hugged_ me. As in: the heavily scarred and usually reserved vampire actually put his arms around my shoulders and pressed my body against his chest in a slightly awkward and affectionate, yet still profoundly masculine gesture.

He must have sensed my shock because he had a slightly amused look on his face when he withdrew from his embrace. "Well, Jacob Black…" he said half-amused, half-solemn "…welcome to the family…" then took off in a blur before I had time to say anything, or recover from my flabbergasted expression.

A slight chuckle coming from Seth brought me back to reality.

"Someone should probably go and tell Sam that you imprinted on Renesmee…" Leah said, having guessed that this was what Jasper had referred to… I stood up in front of her, looking apologetically into her eyes… "I didn't mean for it to happen…" I whispered sorrowfully.

Over the last few days, Leah had become my confidante, my friend, a kindred spirit with whom I had shared my hopes, and my pain. For some reason, the fact that I had imprinted while she had not felt like some part of me had betrayed her. "I'm so sorry…" I said, almost too low for anyone to hear.

"Well I'm not…" she replied, keeping a brave façade though I could see that she did feel shaken by the whole ordeal. "…not really…" she then admitted, her stance relaxing ever so slightly.

"I won't pretend to understand it because I don't…" she declared, a flash of anger or frustration passing in front of her eyes "…but I don't hold you responsible for it, and still am a part of your pack. Now is not the time to ask ourselves questions or dwell on it. Your imprint needs you, and we have to make sure there won't be a feud between Sam's clan and ours. Everything else will be answered in time".

The truth and maturity behind her words stunned me. "Thank you" I said, making a step forward to embrace her. She took a step back, looking at me disapprovingly. I looked at her utterly confused, but then saw her smile…

"Now you're pushing it, Black! Don't expect any hugs and kisses while you still reek from that leech!" she said. Had the circumstances been any less tragic, I would have laughed! Unfortunately, all I could give her was a weak smile. Still, it was enough for her to understand that her statement had had the desired effect.

"I'll get to Sam, and come back as soon as I can to let you know what he intends to do about our two clans, and your new imprint. You boys go back to the Cullens. I'll meet you there".

She then quickly undressed and changed, running as fast towards La Push as her paws could carry her. Jacob watched her leave for a second before turning his attention back to Seth.

The younger werewolf had a pained and guarded expression "You don't intend to fulfill your promise to him now… Do you?" he asked, making it clear that he would face some VERY strong and potentially lethal opposition if he did.

"No…" Jacob admitted, knowing that his feelings for his former rival had suddenly and irrevocably changed. "…but I don't know if I can save him".

With that they both ran back to the house, bracing themselves for what awaited them on the other side of the door.

_**To be continued…**_


	2. Chapter 1

**From Beyond V****isions…**

by _The Lost Girl_

_SPOILERS:_ Everything up to Book Three of "Breaking Dawn".

_SUMMARY:_ Bella didn't survive childbirth, and now the Cullens and the wolves have to deal with the repercussions… But when Alice starts having unusual visions, they will have to make a choice that will change their family, and their perception of themselves, forever…

_DISCLAIMERS:_ All the characters in the story belong to Stephanie Meyer and whoever else has the right on the Twilight series.

_AUTHOR'S NOTE:_ Please keep in mind that I strongly believe that suicide/death is NEVER the answer. This is a work of fiction, and fiction alone. If you suffer from depression, or are having any kind of suicidal thoughts, I strongly suggest that you read something else, and seek help in your community (friends, family, psychologist, doctor, etc.). Thank you! : )

* * *

**From Beyond V****isions…**

**Chapter 1**

As soon as Jacob and Seth entered the house, they were greeted by an eerie silence, the complete opposite of the situation from when he had left…

Using his wolf senses, Jacob could hear a low, deep growl, and the sound of Alice's musical, soothing voice, though he couldn't quite hear the words.

Closer to them, just on top of the stairs, he could hear someone quietly sobbing and sniffling… "Renesmee…" he whispered, so low that only Seth could have heard him, and swiftly climbed the stairs until the child was but mere inches from him.

Seth followed quickly, careful not to make a noise or to disturb anything, and gasped at the scene in front of him.

Rosalie was holding a beautiful child, with dark brown curly hair and gentle chocolate eyes… She was cradling the girl against herself with evident care, devotion, and sadness, while she watched Jacob curiously, unable to interpret his actions.

It occurred to Seth that Renesmee held her hand against Rosalie's cheek, all the while looking at Jacob with the same interest he was showing her. She then extended her small arms towards him, and Rosalie reluctantly let him hold her.

As soon as she was in his arms, a wide yet sad smile illuminated the child's features, and the werewolf responded in kind. _Wow…_ Seth thought… _So that's what imprinting looks like…_

"Seth… What's going on…" he heard someone whisper right next to him… Rosalie! All through his musing, he'd almost forgotten about her… She was watching him expectantly, as if she'd somehow stepped into the twilight zone, and only he held the answers to the strange scene unfolding in front of them.

"Jacob came to find us with Jasper, and convinced him to go get Carlisle, Esme and Emmett… Then Leah left to warn Sam of Jacob's imprint, and make sure there will be no war between us and your coven… And then we came back to help you with Edward…" he said in an equally low voice.

As soon as he'd said the word _imprint_, he regretted it, for he saw a flash of anger pass in front of Rosalie's eyes, and he instinctively took a step back, crouching a little in case he had to defend himself.

"He didn't…" she hissed, looking towards Jacob who was running his hand soothingly across Renesmee's back, kissing the top of her head while she cried against him, her petite hands holding on so strongly to his chest that it left small bruises. But Jacob looked like he didn't care or even took notice. All that mattered to him was bringing all the comfort he could to the little child in his arms.

Rosalie didn't know what to think, or what to do… Sure she hated the wolf, and the prospect of having him around on a regular basis felt like pure torture to her. Having to put up with that horrendous smell, and his immature antics was daunting enough for her to wish someone would just rip her apart and put her out of her misery already.

But Renesmee had made it clear earlier when she'd touched her cheek to communicate that she WANTED Jacob to be next to her. She needed him perhaps just as much as he now needed her. From what she knew about imprints, Bella and Edward's daughter would now have a strong protector, a friend who would be willing to become anything she would need him to be throughout her whole existence, no matter how long it may be.

For who knew what would become of a vampire's daughter born from a human's mother?… Bella… Oh god… Bella…

To Seth's surprise, instead of attacking him or Jacob, Rosalie started crying. Or at least that's what it looked like, though she couldn't shed tears. She fell on her knees, and let Seth gather her in his arms in an attempt to comfort and soothe her.

"Edward was wrong…" she whispered. Until now, she had been strong for Renesmee, putting her own feelings aside and concentrating only on the child. But now that Jacob was taking over, her own pain came to the surface. "I didn't help Bella because I wanted Renesmee… I helped Bella because I cared. She wanted a child and I didn't want anyone to take that miracle from her… If she was to become one of us, she deserved to be given the opportunity I never had. She promised she would make it and be there for her daughter… She promised…"

Jacob was looking at them now, for the first time seeing Rosalie under a new light. She was just as distraught about Bella's death as any of them. Perhaps even more so, since she'd been the one who'd stopped them from hurting or aborting the baby. From Bella and Edward's love, Renesmee, a beautiful miracle, had been born… But at what cost?

In all her plans, Rosalie had never meant to become Renesmee's mother… She'd always envisioned sharing Bella's joy and motherhood, nothing more. She wasn't the monster they'd thought her to be. She had truly protected and loved Bella as much as any of them.

"Rosalie, I'm so sorry…" he said, kneeling next to her. Out of an unspoken agreement, Renesmee reached for the beautiful blonde vampire, and Jacob put the child back into her waiting arms.

As she lifted her eyes to meet Jacob gaze, Rosalie saw that he understood. Perhaps the two of them would never truly be friends, too many differences between them… But at the very least, they both shared a deep love for the child. They both wanted what was best for Renesmee, and if that meant that they would have to acknowledge each others' presence in her life, and work together, so be it.

"Thank you…" she whispered back, a gentle smile crossing her lips. She then looked towards the room where Renesmee's birth had taken place. Jacob shivered, and listened again to the sounds coming from the room.

He could hear Alice more clearly now… Her voice was choked up, yet still retained her beauty and musicality. She was speaking to Edward like you would a scared and bewildered child… Trying to coax him into giving something to her…

"Edward… Please… Come… Your daughter wants to see you… You're scaring me… Scaring all of us… She needs you so much… She just lost her mother…" he could hear Edward hissing and then growling low as his sister mentioned his lost love "…please, she needs her father…"

He didn't know if anything he could do or say would help, but he had to try… He looked over to Rose and Seth, who just nodded back, then took a deep breath to calm himself and opened the room's door, stepping in…

_**To be continued…**_


	3. Chapter 2

**From Beyond V****isions…**

by _The Lost Girl_

_SPOILERS:_ Everything up to Book Three of "Breaking Dawn".

_SUMMARY:_ Bella didn't survive childbirth, and now the Cullens and the wolves have to deal with the repercussions… But when Alice starts having unusual visions, they will have to make a choice that will change their family, and their perception of themselves, forever…

_DISCLAIMERS:_ All the characters in the story belong to Stephanie Meyer and whoever else has the right on the Twilight series.

_AUTHOR'S NOTE:_ Please keep in mind that I strongly believe that suicide/death is NEVER the answer. This is a work of fiction, and fiction alone. If you suffer from depression, or are having any kind of suicidal thoughts, I strongly suggest that you read something else, and seek help in your community (friends, family, psychologist, doctor, etc.). Thank you! : )

* * *

**From Beyond V****isions…**

**Chapter 2**

"Oh god…" Jacob whispered, taking in the horrible scene before him. He suddenly envied the vampires' lack of need for breath, for the smell of Bella's blood threatened to overpower all of his other senses. Though, on second thought, that would have been a blessing.

Her blood was everywhere… From the stretcher to the floor, where it left a heavy trail until it reached the farthest corner of the room. That's when he saw them. Edward, backed into the corner, holding Bella's body, or what was left of it Jacob thought sadly, possessively against his chest; while Alice was crouching a few feet in front of him, her hand extended towards her brother, trying to find a way to get to him.

Edward's face was twisted into a vicious snarl… Emitting a deep throated growl every time she tried to get nearer, or said anything about Bella. Jacob wasn't even sure that Edward saw or recognized his sister. He kept rocking his body back and forth, holding on to the now heavily bloodied and mangled corpse in his arms. A corpse that had once been their beautiful and vibrant Bella… But that now appeared nothing but a disgusting and demented parody of the girl they once knew, and loved.

Her spine was broken and her limbs bent at weird angles. Her stomach was opened, blood and organs falling through. She was covered from head to toes in bite marks, resulting from Edward's futile attempts to save her life.

Jacob clamped his hand over his mouth and forced himself to swallow the bile that threatened to rush past his throat. If he started vomiting now, he was afraid that he'd be unable to stop.

He must've made a sound, for Alice turned around sharply, then relaxed and looked relieved when she saw him…

"Jasper is fine…" he said, answering her unspoken question "I sent him after Carlisle and the others… Thought it would be better for him to stay away from the house for a while…"

Alice nodded and said "thank you…" before bringing her attention back to her brother.

"He's been like this ever since I came in. He won't let me anywhere near him… or Bella… He won't talk to me… I don't know what to do…" she whispered, looking both deeply worried, and exhausted. She too had just lost her best friend, and now she seemed so fragile, on the verge of breaking down… Only her love for her brother and her family still held her together.

But then, Edward's rocking ceased, and he released his hold on Bella ever so slightly, his eyes locking on Jacob's. For a second, the intensity behind the vampire's gaze was almost enough for him to turn, and run away… For through Edward's eyes he saw recognition, but also something else… Something that Jacob didn't know if he'd been truly prepared to deal with… Hope…

_Please…_ he thought… _if there is any power out there, please give me the courage to do this…_

He sat down on the floor next to Alice and, as he had expected, Edward delicately let go of Bella's body, then crawled to the spot where Jacob sat on the floor, until they were an arm's length of each other.

Alice, who had remained quiet the whole time, watched the silent exchange between the two former rivals with confusion. What could the wolf have done to elicit such a response from her brother? Unless…

Against her better judgment, she stood up and walked away, though remained close enough to be able to react if either of them tried to attack the other.

Jacob's eyes were filled with tears, and regret. He felt like he was on the verge of hyperventilating. Sadly, he shook his head, and whispered "I can't Edward… I'm so sorry, but I can't…"

"You promised…" the vampire whispered back, his voice desperate and conveying so much pain, that Jacob wondered if he'd still been alive had he been human.

Then the despair and hope quickly gave way to anger as Edward grabbed Jacob and pushed him towards Bella's body, his face almost hitting the bloodied ground.

"LOOK AT HER!" he yelled, mad in his grief "_I _did this to her… I'm the monster who tried to steal her soul, violated her body, and then destroyed what was left of her!" he went back to Jacob and grabbed him by the shoulders, forcing him then to look at his face. "I'm covered in blood… HER blood… Her death is on my hands… You promised to kill me so KILL ME!"

Alice was about to intervene when someone's hand on her shoulder stopped her. "Trust him…" Seth said, removing his hand. The pixie nodded but watched intently, not wanting either of them to get hurt.

"You LOVED her…" Jacob answered, grabbing Edward's wrists and forcing him to let go of his shoulders "…and Bella loved you more than anything in the world... The proof of that love, a proof that she sacrificed her life to bring into this world is waiting for you down that corridor. Don't you hear her cries? She needs you Edward, and I'm not going to take her father from her!"

"WHY WOULD YOU CARE?..." Edward screamed, much to Jacob's frustration.

"BECAUSE I LOVE YOU, YOU DUMBASS!" he let out, a fraction of second before realizing what he'd just said. Apparently, it had taken everyone by surprise, including Edward, who just stayed there, eyes wide and mouth hanging open, seemingly in shock and unable to process what he'd just heard.

Jacobs thoughts automatically started racing. _Great, just great Jake... Way to go and put your foot in your mouth. Now how can I explain to him that what I meant is "I love you because now that I just imprinted on your daughter, I am no longer jealous of your relationship with Bella… Not to mention that you were right all along! There was no one better for her in the whole universe but you… And I was a real idiot for refusing to acknowledge it! Bella loved you, your daughter loves you, and now I have no other choice than to love you as well knowing how much you would have sacrificed for Bella's happiness and…_ As he went on and on in his head, it occurred to him that Edwards eyes were going wider and wider, as a new understanding finally dawned on him…_ OH CRAP…_

"Shit, Edward, I never meant for you to find out like that… I'm sorry, I never meant for it to happen, it just did and… Well, I can't kill you now because I'd obviously never be able to live with myself if I did…"

"You imprinted on Renesmee…" Edward stated, in a daze, as the previous hope that Jacob had initially seen in his eyes seemed to vanish entirely, replaced by a new sense of emptiness.

_**To be continued…**_


	4. Chapter 3

**From Beyond V****isions…**

by _The Lost Girl_

_SPOILERS:_ Everything up to Book Three of "Breaking Dawn".

_SUMMARY:_ Bella didn't survive childbirth, and now the Cullens and the wolves have to deal with the repercussions… But when Alice starts having unusual visions, they will have to make a choice that will change their family, and their perception of themselves, forever…

_DISCLAIMERS:_ All the characters in the story belong to Stephanie Meyer and whoever else has the right on the Twilight series.

_AUTHOR'S NOTE:_ Please keep in mind that I strongly believe that suicide/death is NEVER the answer. This is a work of fiction, and fiction alone. If you suffer from depression, or are having any kind of suicidal thoughts, I strongly suggest that you read something else, and seek help in your community (friends, family, psychologist, doctor, etc.). Thank you! : )

* * *

**From Beyond V****isions…**

**Chapter 3**

Jacob took a deep breath… "Yes, I did…" he acknowledged. He heard Alice gasp, and then say "That's why I couldn't see Renesmee's future… It was linked to yours…" Jacob looked at her and nodded, before returning his attention to Edward…

"And she's the most beautiful child I have ever seen… Please Edward… _Please_… I know you're hurting… Actually I can't even bring myself to imagine how much but… For Renesmee's, and for Bella's sake, let us help you… Or at least give us the chance to try…"

Edward didn't know what to say or how to react… Of all the things he'd been expecting from Jacob Black, pleading with him not to end his own life had never been one of them. With Bella gone, it felt like most of his soul, if he had a soul, had left with her. What did he have to offer his daughter but a broken shell of a person? If a vampire could be considered a person… How could he be a father without dragging her into the bottom of the pit of black despair that stretched endlessly underneath him? He needed Bella. She had been his light, his life… How could he guide a child through life when he felt that life itself had deserted him?… Leaving him in a dark, empty place… He was already dead, why bother…

_Because she need you…_ He heard someone, no one in particular say. He owed it to his daughter and to his love to at the very least try…

"But I don't know _how_…" he wailed, seconds before Jacob had to catch him as Edward let himself fall to the ground, not having any more strength to support himself… "…Jacob, I don't know how to _be_ without her… I don't know if I can exist in a place where she's not…"

He started sobbing and screaming in pain as Jacob silently held him and told him totally useless words meant to be soothing. "It's going to be okay Edward… It's alright…" Truth to be told, never in his life had the werewolf felt so utterly powerless… How could he tell a man who'd just lost the vampire's equivalent of an imprint that everything was going to be okay? It wasn't okay! Probably never would be again! And here they were trying to tie him to this world in their selfish need for Renesmee to be happy, and for themselves not to have to deal with the loss of another member of their family.

How could he justify their need, or tell him that "everything would be okay…" So finally, he said "I lied… I don't know what the future holds for you Edward… But I promise you that I'll be there all the way if you need me… All of us will… And that's a promise I intend to keep even with my life if I have to…" and stopped talking. Hoping that it would be enough…

He didn't know how long they sat there together, old enemies crying in each other's arms, mourning the loss of the woman they had both loved, each their own way; but it seemed that Edward was now exhausted, his screams had subsided, and his chest heaved now and then with quiet sobs.

Suddenly, Jacob felt someone put a cold hand on his shoulder.

He turned around to meet Carlisle's deeply sad, yet compassionate eyes… "I'll take it from here…" he whispered, scooping Edward in his arms like you would a young child, and standing up. Before carrying him out of the room, he stopped to look at Jacob with awe and gratitude.

"Jasper told us what you did and what you told him…" he said, smiling sadly "…and for that, for watching over both of my sons and my family, you have my eternal gratitude. Stay here for as long as you wish, for our house is now officially yours".

On his way out, he kissed Esme, who was openly crying, Jasper supporting her, and whispered something to her. She nodded, before heading downstairs with Jasper, who exchanged a quick look with Jacob before leaving.

"Come…" Alice said, helping him stand up and taking his hand to lead him out of the room… "Renesmee's been asking for you like crazy, and everyone is in the living room, waiting for you. Leah's back, and she said she has some good news but refuses to share them with us unless you can be there to hear them too".

Jacob almost laughed at that… But it left a bitter taste in his mouth… They would probably need those pretty often now.

As he was almost out of the room, he ran back in, taking Bella's body and putting her back on the gurney. Taking a last look at her face, the only part of her body that somehow still resembled her, he covered her with a long white sheet. "Thank you Bella…" he said "…thank you for being the best friend I could dream of… And thank you for Renesmee. I promise to watch over her and Edward for as long as I shall live…"

As he came out, Alice closed the lights and the door, locking it with a heavy sigh.

"I don't want Nessie to see me like this…" he said, showing her the blood that covered his body…

"Don't worry…" Alice added, her voice filled with sorrow "…we will clean up the room and remove Bella's bo…" she choked on the word, finding it incredibly hard to refer to her best friend as anything inanimate… Bella had been anything BUT inanimate. "We'll remove everything from the room to make sure that Renesmee won't have to be haunted by these images of her mother…"

She then did a double take "Wait? Did you just call her Nessie?" she said as she showed him the way to the bathroom.

Jacob shrugged "I guess… It's shorter than Renesmee… Plus, I find it cute…"

Alice frowned "Isn't that the Loch Ness Monster's name?"

"Perhaps…" Jacob answered, and she decided to let it go… For now…

_**To be continued…**_


	5. Chapter 4

**From Beyond V****isions…**

by _The Lost Girl_

_SPOILERS:_ Everything up to Book Three of "Breaking Dawn".

_SUMMARY:_ Bella didn't survive childbirth, and now the Cullens and the wolves have to deal with the repercussions… But when Alice starts having unusual visions, they will have to make a choice that will change their family, and their perception of themselves, forever…

_DISCLAIMERS:_ All the characters in the story belong to Stephanie Meyer and whoever else has the right on the Twilight series.

_AUTHOR'S NOTE:_ Please keep in mind that I strongly believe that suicide/death is NEVER the answer. This is a work of fiction, and fiction alone. If you suffer from depression, or are having any kind of suicidal thoughts, I strongly suggest that you read something else, and seek help in your community (friends, family, psychologist, doctor, etc.). Thank you! : )

* * *

**From Beyond V****isions…**

**Chapter 4**

After a few minutes, the time it took for Jacob to take a shower, rub off the blood that covered his body, and compose himself, he came down the stairs slowly, and took in the scene before him.

Jasper was sitting on the floor with Alice, whispering tender words in her ears while she sobbed quietly on his shoulder, her delicate arms clinging to him. Emmett was on the couch with Rosalie, caressing her soft hair and kissing her forehead every now and then as they both cried and tried to find some comfort in each other. Esme was sitting on the other couch with… Seth? Jake smiled… Seth was crying with her, telling Esme how her son was a great friend, and how he hoped that everything would turn out okay for him.

_Keep going Seth and she's going to adopt you… __Hmmm… Though maybe that's the plan…_ He thought, knowing how fond the younger werewolf was of Esme's cooking.

But wait, if Rosalie was with Emmett, and Esme with Seth… Where was?... Leah! He'd almost forgotten about her!

As if on cue, she came out of the kitchen holding the half-human, half-vampire baby in her arms, while feeding her a bottle of blood. Jacob was speechless… Leah, the strong, "cold" she-wolf was holding his Nessie in her arms with a gentleness and tenderness unbeknownst to her. She had a gentle, dreamy smile on her lips that for the first time seemed to reach her eyes. Jacob had never thought of her as being "beautiful"… "Pretty", yes, but she'd always been too distant and guarded to appear as a true beauty.

In that moment, he finally caught a glimpse of who Leah was, or who she could be underneath all the walls she'd built around herself since Sam had left her. And although he wasn't in love with her, he hoped with all his might that she'd meet someone who would be lucky enough to bring out that side of her that she kept hidden from the world.

"You know, don't tell Jacob I said that… But you're sorta cute for a leech…" she told Renesmee, who giggled and put her hand on her cheek. Leah immediately looked up, shocked to see that Jacob was watching them.

"Hmmm… Errr… Okay, you knew he was there and you didn't say anything?" she scolded Nessie, looking slightly embarrassed to have been caught unaware by her Alpha in a moment of emotional weakness.

Jake laughed and gently took his little angel from her arms, before she fell on the floor from all the wiggling she was doing in Leah's arms while trying to get to him.

"It's okay Leah, I promise not to tell anyone that you've still got a heart!" he told her, laughing. She only stuck her tongue at him, and moved back to the center of the living room.

"Alright everyone, since Jacob is there, I think I can tell you what are Sam's plans for his clan, and for the situation at hand…"

"HEY! You let him borrow my shirt! Man, now I'll never get the smell out…" Emmett interrupted, having just noticed that Alice had given some of his clothes to Jacob, since his own had been entirely soaked in blood.

That earned him a slap behind the head from Rosalie "Would you listen to what she has to tell us? This is important! We'll talk about ruined clothing later…" she said, while Emmett gaped at her.

"Who are you and what have you done with my Rose?" he asked, a teasing half-smile on his lips.

"Would you guys stop? This is not the moment!" Alice added, watching them both with a chiding expression.

"Who died and made you queen?" Emmett answered, only to be overwhelmed by a wave of sadness. His face crumpled as he understood the potential meaning behind his words.

"Oh God… Alice I'm so sorry… I didn't mean to… You're right, I was being thoughtless and a total jerk!" he said, almost snatching her from Jasper's arms and bringing his pixie-like sister into a huge bear hug. In return, Alice clung to him as if her very existence depended on it, as they both started crying their eyes out.

"Jasper, do something!" Rosalie said, herself on the verge of losing it and not knowing how to put an end to all the madness…

"Hey! Overwhelmed here! Emotional overload…" Jasper replied, apparently not faring any better. "Also, could use a hug…" and then Jasper and Rosalie were in each others' arms.

"Are they always like this?" Leah asked to no one in particular, slightly discouraged…

"Yes, that's my kids…" Esme replied with a sense of wonderment, sniffling yet trying to keep it together for the sake of her family.

"Okay, are you guys telling me that these are the big bad vampires that we are supposed to be protecting our people from?" she added, looking at Jake and her brother… "We are so deeply, deeply shamed…"

"Most importantly, why didn't anyone warn me that Jasper was a hugger?" Jacob asked.

"He just recently came out…" Esme clarified in a low voice, as if this was still a sensitive subject. Then ignored Jacob's taken aback expression as she clapped her hands together… "Children! Please! There'll be plenty of time for crying and hugging later on, but right now I believe that this lovely lady has something very important to tell us…"

At the sound of her voice, all four of Esme's "kids" did their best effort to calm down, each couple returning with their initial partners while exchanging some "I'm sorry…" "Love you too…" and/or, as the case may be, a heartfelt pat on the back with each other.

"Errr… Yes… Hum… Thank you Esme for the introduction…" Leah said, still reeling from the sudden and slightly unexpected display of affection she'd just witnessed… She wouldn't admit it to anyone, but most of the preconceptions she had about vampires and the Cullens had just flown out of the window.

"As I was saying, I just met with Sam, and told him of Renesmee's birth, and Jacob's imprint…"

"Jacob imprinted?" Emmett asked in a low whisper, before four voices said "Shut up!" in unison… This time, Leah decided it was better just to ignore it, and carry on.

"…Now, because of that, Sam and the others have decided that they have no other choice than to accept Renesmee as a member of our clan, and grant her the same rights and privileges as any of the other imprints. From now on, our protection thus extends to every member of her family. In a few days, Sam would like to come here himself with the others in order to discuss the terms of a new treaty with Carlisle, and also discuss that whole "two Alpha" thing with Jacob. Apparently, some have expressed the desire to join our pack, and Sam believes that since there is no longer any need for hostility between us, everyone should be given the choice…"

Jacob was smiling, both feeling relieved and grateful. Of course, he hadn't been expecting Sam to still attack after what happened. But he hadn't expected him to be so forthcoming about the whole situation.

"…He also offers his sympathies to Edward, Carlisle, Esme, and all of you, and wishes to give you the time to grieve your loss before anything else. So whenever you're ready to meet with him, just send either Seth, Jacob, or myself back to La Push to let him know. Meanwhile, his prayers are with you all…"

Esme stood up and took both of Leah's hands in her own. "Thank you…" she said, her eyes filled with gratitude "…if you go back to La Push anytime soon and see him, please tell Sam that we are very grateful for his offer, and that my husband and I would be very pleased to meet with him as soon as things here have settled down a little…"

She then looked at Jacob and Seth, letting them know that what she was going to say included them also "I believe that Carlisle already told you that our house was now yours Jacob, but the invitation also extends to the rest of your pack. While we may not have all the rooms needed upstairs for everyone right now, we have another house in the woods nearby that could welcome you if ever you need to stay nearby. However, I suspect that your mother must be worried about you two right now…" she said, referring to Leah and Seth "…and would be very happy if I sent you back home".

"Thank you… We'll be back tomorrow morning to see how Jake and everyone are doing…" Leah answered, taking Seth's hand in her own, and guiding him towards the front door after saying her goodbyes to the rest of the Cullens.

"You're sure you're going to be okay?" Seth asked Jacob before stepping out. He nodded, then smiled as he felt Nessie's hand against his chin… "Yes…" he replied "They are my family…"

"Tell Edward that I'm so very sorry, and I'll be there for him tomorrow, and everyday after that if he needs me…"

With that, the two Clearwater kids left, leaving the Cullens to ponder just how many things had changed since Bella had entered their lives. Despite having lost a wife, child, or sister; they now found themselves with an expending family, the vampire coven and two werewolves clans now joined together by Jacob and Renesmee.

The silence was soon broken as they heard a sharp gasp come from Alice. For a second, she seemed to be looking at something beyond them, and it occurred to Jacob that she was having a vision…

"Oh god… This can't be…" she whispered…

"I told you it wasn't coming from Edward…" Jasper added, deep in thoughts.

"What? What is it?" Jacob asked, looking from one to the next, trying to understand what they were talking about.

"Jake, I think you better sit down…" Rosalie said, taking Nessie from his arms and offering him her spot on the couch, while she went to sit with her on the piano bench.

_**To be continued…**_


	6. Author's note

**From Beyond V****isions…**

by _The Lost Girl_

_SPOILERS:_ Everything up to Book Three of "Breaking Dawn".

_SUMMARY:_ Bella didn't survive childbirth, and now the Cullens and the wolves have to deal with the repercussions… But when Alice starts having unusual visions, they will have to make a choice that will change their family, and their perception of themselves, forever…

_DISCLAIMERS:_ All the characters in the story belong to Stephanie Meyer and whoever else has the right on the Twilight series.

_AUTHOR'S NOTE:_ Please keep in mind that I strongly believe that suicide/death is NEVER the answer. This is a work of fiction, and fiction alone. If you suffer from depression, or are having any kind of suicidal thoughts, I strongly suggest that you read something else, and seek help in your community (friends, family, psychologist, doctor, etc.). Thank you! : )

* * *

**ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRG! I just accidentally erased the whole next chapter!!! I can't believe I did that! You know, when you see the scene in slow motion and you click on the wrong button, realise your mistake at the very last minute, but then, it's already too late for you to stop it…**

**Nevermind Edward,**_** I**_** feel like dying right now… *Sigh* **

**Okay, I had promised myself not to put any author's notes in here, but it's just too frustrating and too much for me to handle right now… I had to let it out!**

**So I'll go back to bed, try to get some sleep, and come back with the rewrite tomorrow morning or afternoon… I seriously don't know how I'm going to do that without instinctively cutting corners, but somehow, I'll just have to manage.**

**Oh, and don't worry... There is nothing more frustrating than starting to read a story, and then having the author abandon it somewhere in the middle... : ) So this is my promise to you: No matter when and where it stops, I won't anything unresolved. : )  
**

**Meanwhile, big hugs everyone!**

**(Yes, I too am making my official coming out as a "hugger"! Lol!)**

**Amélie, **

**The Lost Girl**

**X X X**


	7. Chapter 5

**From Beyond V****isions…**

by _The Lost Girl_

_SPOILERS:_ Everything up to Book Three of "Breaking Dawn".

_SUMMARY:_ Bella didn't survive childbirth, and now the Cullens and the wolves have to deal with the repercussions… But when Alice starts having unusual visions, they will have to make a choice that will change their family, and their perception of themselves, forever…

_DISCLAIMERS:_ All the characters in the story belong to Stephanie Meyer and whoever else has the right on the Twilight series.

_AUTHOR'S NOTE:_ Please keep in mind that I strongly believe that suicide/death is NEVER the answer. This is a work of fiction, and fiction alone. If you suffer from depression, or are having any kind of suicidal thoughts, I strongly suggest that you read something else, and seek help in your community (friends, family, psychologist, doctor, etc.). Thank you! : )

* * *

**From Beyond V****isions…**

**Chapter 5**

Edward was lying in the large bed that they had initially bought for Bella, having trouble to remember how he'd gotten there in the first place. He remembered breaking down in Jacob's arms and crying until he felt like all life had left his body… Then being lifted from the ground by strong yet gentle arms to be carried elsewhere. He looked down at himself. Someone had also taken the time to wash and dress him. He was wearing fresh, comfortable clothes, and all the blood on his skin was gone.

The sound of pages shuffling together caught his attention, and he turned his head to the left to find Carlisle sitting by the side of the bed, reading quietly.

"You're back…" Edward said, surprised by how weak and broken his voice sounded. Carlisle immediately lifted his gaze from his book, and cast it aside. His face carried a worn expression, and his eyes were red, but he still managed to give his son a warm, and caring smile. "…I came back a few hours ago with Esme, and Emmett".

Hours? Had it really been hours since…? Oh god… The whole room around Edward started spinning and he felt like something was burning down his throat… "I think I don't feel so well…" he started saying. Immediately, he felt two strong arms help him in a sitting position and hand him a large bowl. As he began throwing up, Carlisle gently rubbed his boy's back in circular patterns, and helped him support his weight.

When Edward finally felt like everything was out, including his own heart, he let himself fall back against the pillows, while Carlisle left to get rid of the basin. He came back with some water and sat next to his son, sponging his forehead with a cool cloth.

"Haven't we been here before...?" Edward mused; the whole thing reminding him of a time, long ago, when he'd still been human, and Carlisle had cared and watched over him.

"Yes… And unfortunately, the circumstances were every bit as tragic…" the older vampire replied, remembering that Edward had just lost both of his parents back then… But somehow, he had managed to recover… Only this time, Carlisle didn't know if he would be able to recover from the loss of his love…

"I really don't know either…" Edward said, having read his thoughts… "All I can tell you is that right now, I feel as if my soul, if that's what we have, has been crushed or torn in two… Like I'm being suffocated, and I'm drowning in my own blood. Sometimes, it's just as if the venom was spreading and burning once again, threatening to consume everything I am… And part of me wants it to… It hurts… So much… And I don't know what to do to make it stop…"

Carlisle didn't say anything, but put his hand on top of Edward's arm, letting his son know that he was there if he needed to talk to him, or simply to offer all the comfort he could through his presence. They stayed like this for a few minutes, until Edward finally broke the silence.

"Carlisle…" he began "…If you lost Esme, what would you do?"

Carlisle had expected such a question… In his present state, Edward needed someone who could connect with his pain, and either validate his feelings, or give him hope… The thing was, Edward's situation was unprecedented. Vampires were, by nature, pretty solitary creatures… So when they chose a mate, the bond they shared went beyond simple attachment. Many humans were also capable of such love and devotion, but the difference was that they didn't have an eternity stretched out in front of them if they lost their life partner. Humans grew, evolved, lived, and eventually died. Sometimes, the simple hope of being reunited with a loved one in the afterlife was enough for them to find the strength and the will to go on… To enjoy the years they still had left until the end would come. And the closer they were to the end, the most likely they were to let go.

But unfortunately, vampires rarely survived the loss of their partners. And if they did, they often became but a shadow of themselves. Even Victoria had lost all purpose in life, except for her desire for vengeance, when James had been taken from her.

But he'd never heard of a situation where a vampire's mate had died while giving birth to their child. To him, Bella's pregnancy had been nothing short of a miracle, and a great mystery.

Knowing that Edward would be able to read his thoughts, Carlisle decided that the best thing to do was to tell him the truth. Besides, his son deserved as much.

"Edward, I've had a beautiful and very fulfilling life. Over more than a hundred years, I've been blessed with love, a wonderful family, great friends, a career that has kept me grounded and deeply connected to humanity… I've lived and embraced all that the world had to offer, and more. And while I continue to enjoy every minute of it, I know that one of the reasons I do is because I've been given the opportunity to share this world with my gorgeous wife"… he began, feeling pained at the simple prospect of ever being parted from her.

"So if Esme was ever to leave us, I would probably make a few arrangements to ensure my family's safety; and then ask one of my older children to take over as leader of our coven. Then, I would find a way to leave this world without regrets, carrying with me the beautiful memories of the ones I love, and the good time I've had down here…"

"So you do understand…" Edward replied in a whisper, grateful that Carlisle had taken his question seriously and given him an honest answer, instead of trying to comfort him with sweet lies.

"I do, but Edward, you have to understand that my children are all adults… The oldest one over a hundred years old…" he said with a very fond smile "…Though they would probably feel sad and mourn my passing, they would also be able to care for themselves. Before she left, Bella brought into this world a beautiful miracle… If anything were to ever happen to you, you know that all of us would take it upon ourselves to look after her, and give her all the love we could. But it's her _father_ she's been asking for… It's _you_ that she wants and that she needs".

"But what if I can't be a father?" Edward asked in a panic, his voice filled with fear and despair "Carlisle, look at me! I couldn't save Bella, and I can't even take care of myself… How can I provide for a child, or guide her trough life when I feel so utterly, completely lost?"

"Edward, no one's expecting you to come out of that room having completely recovered, or being ready to face every challenge that life throws your way" Carlisle replied, slightly amused by Edward's outburst "The important thing for you to understand right now is that your family and friends love you. _I_ love you. If you decide to give life a chance, we're all willing to be by your side every step of the way. However, if the pain you feel is too great for your soul to sustain, the only thing I'm going to ask of you is to promise me not to run off to the Volturi, or try anything to kill yourself before telling me about it, alright? Can you promise me that?"

For a minute, Edward stayed silent, pondering what his father had just asked of him. While the pain he felt kept threatening to overpower all rational thoughts, and a huge part of him felt like he would be willing to do anything to get rid of it, something behind Carlisle's words made him feel that perhaps, if he did anything too rashly, he might just be doing a mistake… Leaving something behind that he would forever be regretting…

"Alright… I promise… For Renesmee…" he said. Satisfied, Carlisle kissed his son's forehead, and stood up "I'm going to go check on the others… I'll be right back… Is there anything you need?…" he asked.

_Just Bella…_ Edward thought sadly, but let it go and shook his head "No, I'll be fine…" Carlisle nodded, and then left.

_If only I could sleep..._ Edward thought, envying humans for their ability to lose contact with reality and stop existing temporarily… But then again, he'd probably be plagued with nightmares…

Suddenly, he felt like some of the pain and pressure on his chest was being lifted, ever so slightly. He decided not to question it, and tried to empty his heads of all thoughts, mindlessly staring at the ceiling.

_**To be continued…**_


	8. Chapter 6

**From Beyond V****isions…**

by _The Lost Girl_

_SPOILERS:_ Everything up to Book Three of "Breaking Dawn".

_SUMMARY:_ Bella didn't survive childbirth, and now the Cullens and the wolves have to deal with the repercussions… But when Alice starts having unusual visions, they will have to make a choice that will change their family, and their perception of themselves, forever…

_DISCLAIMERS:_ All the characters in the story belong to Stephanie Meyer and whoever else has the right on the Twilight series.

_AUTHOR'S NOTE:_ Please keep in mind that I strongly believe that suicide/death is NEVER the answer. This is a work of fiction, and fiction alone. If you suffer from depression, or are having any kind of suicidal thoughts, I strongly suggest that you read something else, and seek help in your community (friends, family, psychologist, doctor, etc.). Thank you! : )

* * *

**From Beyond V****isions…**

**Chapter 6**

3 weeks had passed since Bella's death, and the Cullens were still adjusting to their new life with Nessie. Edward had yet to come out of the bedroom or feed, and Esme was getting increasingly worried for his well being, despite Carlisle insisting that he would come out and do things on his own time, when he felt ready for it.

Jacob was out with his pack patrolling the surroundings, since rumours of a group of vampire nomads preying on the area had begun to spread. Apparently, despite the fact that they'd tried to keep her existence a secret, Renesmee's birth had seemed to attract others of their kind to Forks… Perhaps vampires who also shared the ability for foresight? Speaking of which, Alice visions frequency had increased dramatically over the last few weeks. And with both what Jasper had felt and what Nessie had shown them, it was becoming harder and harder for the Cullens to keep their thoughts in check around the house. Most of them felt bad for hiding something that seemed so important from Edward, but Alice had convinced them to wait until they knew the full implications of what she'd seen.

Besides, they also needed to do researches on Renesmee's condition. In the timespan of 3 weeks, she had already begun to speak, walk, and was now the size of a toddler. What if she kept growing at such a rapid pace…? What would happen to her once she reached the size of a full grown adult? Would she simply keep aging until she died from old age? It seemed impossible for any of them to accept that a beautiful child like Renesmee would be born only to be faced with such a grim future. And what would become of Jacob?

Strangely enough, the least worried about the future seemed to be the werewolf, content to spend time with Nessie whenever he could, his intent set on enjoying the time they had together, no matter how long it may be. Every moment you could spend with a loved one what the most precious time in the world. Bella and Edward had taught him that much.

But still, if other vampires were becoming attracted to Renesmee, it was only a matter of time before the Volturi would take notice, and show an interest in her too. They had to know exactly what they were dealing with in case it would lead to a confrontation between their two clans. Right now, Nessie looked almost exactly like a vampire child, and they knew only too well what such a discovery from the wrong person could mean.

A new treaty between the Cullens and the wolves had also been negotiated, and they had now been granted access to the La Push territory without limitations in an effort to bring both "families" together. That way, any of the Cullens could accompany Nessie to La Push to see Jacob or the other members of his clan whenever she wished to. Lately, Nessie had been showing some interest in Claire, and the two enjoyed playing together, much to Jacob's and Quil's pleasure, who could hang out together while the two girls played.

The Cullens had also renewed their engagement to avoid causing trouble, and stay clear of human blood while in Forks, and had offered to join the Quileutes in their efforts to keep La Push and the area a safe place for their tribe.

The vampires and the wolves now took turns, or even patrolled together when the potential threat of a vampire approaching the area of Forks and La Push was known. They had also decided to choose separate hunting territories, to make sure they stayed clear of potential mishaps. The exception to that rule being Nessie and Jacob, who could either hunt with the Cullens, or the wolves if they wanted to.

Sam also made clear that if ever a human was to be bitten or turned, the situation would be judged on a case by case scenario, showing that he trusted Carlisle's judgment in the matter. To show his gratitude, Carlisle had offered to provide the wolves with all the medical care they would need if ever any of them was wounded, and they wanted to avoid suspicious questions from the local doctors.

"We should try to convince him to come downstairs and at least drink some of the blood we still have in the fridge…" Esme told Carlisle, worrying about her son.

"I thought the blood was for Nessie, and we weren't allowed to have it… Lest it would reawaaaken our humaaan bloooooodlust…" Emmett said, imitating a vampire from some old black and white movie, and taking a strange Romanian accent while saying that last part.

"Considering Edward was covered in the human blood of his "singer" from head to toes and didn't even stop to take a lick, I think it's safe to assume that a few sips won't sway him from his regular diet…" Alice replied, trying to fend off Emmett who was still in character, and trying to mock bite her neck. "Now stop that…"

"Don't you think we should tell him about…" Jasper began…

"NO! Not until we know for sure this is real, and what to make of it…" Rosalie said, though she too had a hard time not involving her brother in the whole issue right now. After all, if any of it was true, then he was the one who would have to make a choice that would probably affect all of their lives, especially Nessie's. But there was no need to get him all worried until they knew what they were dealing with.

"But the vibe I get is becoming stronger and stronger… Plus, I'm starting to get a headache from NOT thinking about it…" Jasper complained…

"Poor sweatheart…" Alice said, wrapping her two arms around his body and resting her head on his shoulder.

A few minutes later, Jacob came back, carrying in his arms a large box filled with stuffed animals. "Oh my god!" Alice said, immediately rushing to meet him… "They are SO adorable… Were they yours?" Jacob nodded, while she started playing with a small baby tiger. Just then, she noticed little wolf "There's even a mini you! He's so cute!" she laughed. Jacob smiled back

"Where's Nessie?" he asked, eager to share the new toys with her.

"Just by the…" Esme began to answer, only to find that the young half-vampire child had disappeared from her playing spot near the piano, leaving all of her crayons and papers scattered on the floor. She felt something inside her stomach twist, as her motherly instincts took hold… "Now who was supposed to be watching her?" she asked, angry that they could have been so negligent.

"Calm down Esme, she can't be very far… Besides, if she can accompany us on a hunting trip and run around in the forest on her own, she's probably able to find her way through the house. Besides, we would have known if she had used the front door, and the back is locked…" Carlisle said, as he started looking through each rooms to find her… The others followed his example, but Jacob simply chose to close his eyes, and to let Renesmee guide him.

After a few seconds he smiled, feeling the familiar tug on his soul he felt whenever she was near. Careful not to make a sound or alert the others, he swiftly made his way up the stairs… The tugging pulling him in the direction of Edward's bedroom… Once he reached it, he discretely opened the door, just enough to take a peek inside…

His hand flew to his mouth to stifle his laughter as he made his way back the stairs as fast as he could.

"Guys!" he said in a voice just high enough for the vampires to hear… "Don't make a sound and follow me… Emmett especially! This is priceless!"

As quietly as they could, they all made their way to Edward's room, and looked inside…

Renesmee was sound asleep in the arms of her father… Who was tenderly caressing her hair while looking at her with a gentle, loving gaze, seemingly entirely mesmerized by his child…

And drinking blood from her baby bottle!

"Awww… This is so cute…" Alice said, while Emmett and Jacob (actually, Jacob mostly, as it is pretty impossible for a vampire to blush) were turning red from trying to contain their laughter.

"Oh… My… God…" Emmett whispered, between sharp intakes of breath… "That baby bottle looks so good on you brother…" he told Edward, who had stopped sucking on it, and looked at all of them with a shocked expression, his eyes wide and visibly embarrassed.

"Shhh… You guys be quiet, you're going to wake her up!" Rosalie said, making a few steps into the room and coming to sit by the bottom edge of the bed.

"Has she been crying?" Esme asked, having noticed that Nessie's eyelids looked a little puffy and that she had some watery marks on her cheeks. Her question caught Jacob's attention. He finally calmed down, and waited for the answer.

"She thought that I hated her for taking Bella away from me…" Edward explained, putting aside the bottle, a tortured expression on his face. "My own daughter thought that I held her responsible for her mother's death, and that it was why I didn't want to see her…" The words seemed to hurt him as he spoke them. "You guys were right… I should have looked beyond my own pain and thought of what my child was going through first… I failed both my wife _and_ my child…"

"First, we never said anything like that, and second, I believe that both Nessie and you have it in your hearts to forgive each other. Edward, you did the best you could given the circumstances, and you didn't fail anyone. Jacob told me what you did to try to bring Bella back, and your creativity in the matter is simply astounding… I assure you that there is nothing, you hear me, NOTHING more that I, or anyone else, could have done" Carlisle said, trying to ease some of his son's obvious guilt.

"Besides, what matters for Nessie now is not what you should have done, but what you are going to do. You'll find that a child is very resilient, and adapts to new situations way better than adults do, and especially adult vampires" Esme added, then smiled as she looked at the baby bottle that still rested in Edward's hand.

"She overheard us talking about the blood in the fridge didn't she?" she asked Rosalie, who smiled back, laughing a little.

"What?" Edward asked, confused.

"I was telling Carlisle that I was worried that you hadn't fed yet, and that you should at least take some of the blood that was still in the fridge…"

It was Edward's time to laugh quietly… "That would explain why my 3 weeks old daughter came jumping in my bed and refused to say or do anything else until I accepted the blood bottle she was handing me…"

"She's beautiful isn't she...?" Alice asked, though it was rather rhetorical.

"Yes, just like her mother…" Edward answered in wonder, doing his best to hide the sad edge in his voice…

"We should probably let her sleep…" Jacob suggested, knowing that Edward would appreciate some time alone with his daughter…

"And I think that's our cue to leave…" Carlisle said, motioning to everyone to go and wait for them downstairs. "…are you going to be alright?"

"I think so… I'll bring her downstairs after she wakes up..." Edward replied, positioning himself in the bed so that he could look at his daughter's peaceful, angelic face as she slept…

He waited for everyone to leave before speaking quietly… "Sleep my love, my sweet Renesmee… Daddy is sorry, and promises to always be there to watch over you now…"

She yawned and instinctively moved closer, her small hands coming to rest on his chest. Edward smiled and brought the baby bottle back to his lips.

_**To be continued…**_


	9. Chapter 7

**From Beyond V****isions…**

by _The Lost Girl_

_SPOILERS:_ Everything up to Book Three of "Breaking Dawn".

_SUMMARY:_ Bella didn't survive childbirth, and now the Cullens and the wolves have to deal with the repercussions… But when Alice starts having unusual visions, they will have to make a choice that will change their family, and their perception of themselves, forever…

_DISCLAIMERS:_ All the characters in the story belong to Stephanie Meyer and whoever else has the right on the Twilight series.

_AUTHOR'S NOTE:_ Please keep in mind that I strongly believe that suicide/death is NEVER the answer. This is a work of fiction, and fiction alone. If you suffer from depression, or are having any kind of suicidal thoughts, I strongly suggest that you read something else, and seek help in your community (friends, family, psychologist, doctor, etc.). Thank you! : )

* * *

**From Beyond V****isions…**

**Chapter 7**

For the next few weeks, things seemed to be going better. Edward had started participating in his family's activities again whenever they involved his daughter. He would go on hunting trips with her and Jacob, play hide and seek in the forest near the house (though the rule was that _he_ would be doing the hiding, and she the seeking, in order to make sure that he'd always be able to keep his eyes on her), spend whole afternoons drawing with her, or reading her fairytales. She loved these stories, and how they always had a happy ending… Even though she often found the prince charming quite boring…

"I prefer to ride on wolves than on the back of someone else's horse… They can jump higher and do cooler stuff!" she once said, making Edward laugh, and Jacob blush.

"What will you do when you'll be _really_ tall and_ really_ heavy and the wolves won't want you climbing on their backs anymore?" he had asked her.

"Jabob will still want to carry me even if the others won't!" she had stated, as if it was an immovable fact. Edward had glanced towards Jacob, who simply shrugged. "I hope you know what you've gotten into Jake!" he told him, secretly enjoying the fact that his Nessie would probably be quite a handful for the werewolf as she grew up. But even so, he suspected that Jacob would be happier complying with Renesmee's wishes and demands, than he would have been on his own. He just hoped that she wouldn't become _too_ spoiled…

He had to admit that he was quite impressed with the wolf… Never once had he caught him wishing that his daughter was already grown up, or fantasizing about an adult version of her. It truly seemed that Jacob was content with spending time with her just as she was, and wasn't in any hurry for her to reach maturity. Time spent with Renesmee was never dull or boring for Jake, and he didn't have to fake any interest in what she was doing.

From what he understood about imprinting, most "imprintees" would eventually fall in love with their wolf, though it was never a guarantee. _Bella would laugh if she was here…_ he thought, as he secretly found himself rooting for Jake. Now that the competition between them was out of the way, he had to admit that he was a pretty decent guy, and could even understand why Bella had loved him.

Not to mention that, as a father, the knowledge that his daughter might be destined for a man who would not only unconditionally love her and find his own happiness in making her happy; but would most likely be faithful to her, and physically able to protect her from potential threats that may come their way; was something of a relief.

The only thing that worried him was not knowing "what" exactly his daughter was. Sure, she was half-human, half-vampire… But all the rest was still a mystery to them. Rosalie had left with Emmett and were trying to reach a coven in South America that, according to Alice's visions, might provide them with answers. These were the only visions they dared discuss with Edward for now, though it seemed that he was getting more and more suspicious.

When Edward wasn't spending time with Renesmee, he would be walking aimlessly around the house, staring in the distance; or he would sit by his piano, and play some of Bella's favourite songs.

Sometimes, when he played, the others noticed that Nessie would be staring at a point past Edward, and then often start crying. Her sobs never failed to catch Edward's attention, who would stop playing and immediately come to take her in his arms, trying to comfort her. Though he did his best to get her to tell him what was wrong, and why she was crying, or try to feel her thoughts, she would refuse to tell him or let him see.

He even considered stopping to play altogether at one point, but she convinced him that it wasn't the music. She loved when he played the piano, and it wasn't what made her sad. Then, there was the one time where Jasper started crying with Renesmee also, and had to excuse himself from the room because he was actually unable to stop.

A few days later, Edward had noticed that there were moments where, when Nessie was by herself, she would start laughing without reason, or seemed to be talking with someone who wasn't there. He had brought the subject up to Carlisle, who had told him that it wasn't uncommon for children Nessie's age to have imaginary friends, even though they had a very rich social life.

Still, something in Carlisle's explanation was off… Not to mention that he'd been singing a song in his head all the while they'd been speaking. As a matter of fact, everyone seemed to have complete playlists stocked in their heads nowadays… His favourite so far had been Jacob's rendition of Metallica's "Of Wolf and Man"… Not only had Jacob's been thinking about the lyrics, but the whole musical arrangements beside it! He'd found it very appropriate, and well done. Okay, so Jake had looked at him strangely after he'd complimented him on the great acoustics in his head, but still! That was some very good and creative thinking!

What bothered him though was the growing sensation that there was something everyone was trying to hide, and he just couldn't tell why…

_**To be continued…**_


	10. Chapter 8

**From Beyond V****isions…**

by _The Lost Girl_

_SPOILERS:_ Everything up to Book Three of "Breaking Dawn", and part of book three (regarding certain characters).

_SUMMARY:_ Bella didn't survive childbirth, and now the Cullens and the wolves have to deal with the repercussions… But when Alice starts having unusual visions, they will have to make a choice that will change their family, and their perception of themselves, forever…

_DISCLAIMERS:_ All the characters in the story belong to Stephanie Meyer and whoever else has the right on the Twilight series.

_AUTHOR'S NOTE:_ Please keep in mind that I strongly believe that suicide/death is NEVER the answer. This is a work of fiction, and fiction alone. If you suffer from depression, or are having any kind of suicidal thoughts, I strongly suggest that you read something else, and seek help in your community (friends, family, psychologist, doctor, etc.). Thank you! : )

* * *

**From Beyond V****isions…**

**Chapter 8**

A few days later, Emmett and Rosalie had come back from their trip with Huilen and Nahuel, the later having insisted in coming to Forks to meet Renesmee, as she was the only other "half-breed" he'd heard of besides his sisters and himself.

Nahuel was the offspring of a human mother, Pire, and a vampire father, Joham; and was born in the Amazonian forest. He had accidentally transformed his aunt, Huilen, into a vampire when he bit her as she'd tried to pry him away from his dead mother's body after his birth. In Huilen's former tribe, the Mapuche, vampires like his father were known as Libishomen. But it was unclear as to whether Joham truly understood what he was. Apparently, he thought of himself as some great scientist who was creating a new super-race of very privileged individuals. A notion that obviously disgusted Nahuel.

Nahuel looked no older than 20 years old, and was strikingly beautiful, dark-skinned, and with a defined, lean, muscular body.

He seemed to be very pleased to be able to help the Cullens with his knowledge, and, from his thoughts, Edward confirmed that he was a very compassionate, and honest individual. He thus allowed him to spend a lot of time around Renesmee, letting the two learn more about each other. Nahuel resented his father for having twisted the minds of his sisters into thinking like him, stripping him of the only family he could have known besides Huilen.

And, much to Carlisle's pleasure, while in Forks, both of them had agreed to share their host's "vegetarian" diet. Actually, they had both been very surprised to learn that vampires could survive on animal's blood exclusively, and had manifested an interest into trying this lifestyle back home.

From their guests, the Cullens had thus learned that Renesmee would keep growing at a fast rate for the first 6 or 7 years of her life, and would stop aging as soon as she reached physical maturity. Unlike Nahuel, it seemed that Renesmee wasn't able to produce any venom, just like his sisters. Edward considered it a good thing when remembering the number of times Nessie had accidentally bitten Jacob.

The werewolf had been overjoyed to hear this news. Not because he wouldn't have to wait longer for Nessie to reach maturity, but because they had confirmed that she was an immortal, just like her father. He wouldn't have to watch her grow old and waste away at the fast rate she was aging right now, and he wouldn't have to stop transforming into a wolf to age with her. Oh, he would have sacrificed this ability for her alright… He was just happy to know that he'd be able to retain his werewolf strength and abilities in order to better watch over her, and protect her.

It's like he'd just received the confirmation that they were truly, evenly matched. Of course, just like he, Renesmee could still die from other causes. But still, he could now hope to live many beautiful years with her before anything bad would happen to either of them.

The only thing clouding his happiness was the knowledge that Bella and Edward hadn't been given the same opportunity. Sure, it was better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all, but it all seemed so unfair to him. Here he was, enjoying his life spent with Bella's child, a child she died to bring into the world; while Edward was still mourning the loss of his wife, and Bella… Well… Bella…

He was brought out of his reverie by the sound of the door opening, revealing Leah, Seth, Quil, and Embry, now all members of Jacob's pack, who had been invited to join them for a BBQ.

Jacob had insisted in introducing the other members of his pack to the Amazonians, after Nahuel had appeared to take great interest in the Quileutes' stories and folklore. He didn't know why, but it felt as if Nahuel felt somewhat connected to the stories of the spirit warriors they once had been. He had even expressed feeling honoured to be in the presence of the grandson of Ephraim Black, one of their former chief.

At first, his attitude had surprised Jacob, until it occurred to him that Nahuel was a Mapuche, and had been forced to stay away from his own clan by the very nature of what he was. The only ones that would welcome their presence among them from time to time were the vampires Zaphrina, Senna, and Kichiri. So, being shown respect and acceptance from the descendant of some great Native American chief was something of an event for him.

At first, Quil and Embry had expressed some uneasiness accepting to come to eat in a house full of vampires, but Seth had managed to convince them that Carlisle made the best steaks and hamburgers he'd ever tasted! Not to mention Esme's deserts… Something that amused both Edward and Jacob… Though none of them ate, Carlisle and Esme had developed a true passion for cooking now that Seth and Jacob were often at their house. Especially since most of their recipes had been met with great success!

Next week, Esme was even supposed to spend one full day with Emily so that they could share recipes together. If they kept at it, the Cullens' house would become another regular stop for hungry wolves on patrol; as some of them, like Leah, still preferred to eat in human form.

As soon as Leah entered the house, she stopped, her wide, confused yet wondering eyes fixed upon Nahuel… A deep shiver ran through her body, and she found herself unable to speak, or move.

"Come on Leah, we want to get in too!" Seth complained from behind her, before seeing Jacob give him a sign to be quiet.

"Oh god…" Jasper said, hyperventilating… "What?" Alice asked, both curious and worried as she saw him look at her hungrily, his pupils dilated… "What is it?"

Jasper gave her a lopsided smile, before releasing the emotions he'd just felt coming from Leah on everyone. "Whoa!", "What the he…", "What a rush!" came from different places in the house…

"What the hell was that?" Emmett asked, trying to catch his breath… "And am I the only one who feels like having sex right now?"

"Nope, right there with you…" Carlisle replied, the great wave of overpowering love, adoration, lust, and devotion having caught him by surprise just as much as anyone else.

"Jasper, mind telling us what that was for?" he asked, trying to calm down, and not jump on Esme right here and there.

"You think that was hot?… You guys should have heard their thoughts… Guys, you've got it bad!" Edward said, looking at both Nahuel and Leah, who was turning red, yet couldn't pry her gaze away from the gorgeous stranger…

But Nahuel didn't mind… Perhaps a result of never having been subjected to the stare or scrutiny of others before. He just stood up and walked in the direction of Leah, whose breathing was becoming faster and faster, as she felt her heart pounding madly in her chest.

"Hi, my name's Nahuel…" he introduced himself with a beautiful, very heartfelt smile… _Oh god… How can a single smile be so gorgeous…_ When Leah didn't answer, unable to find her voice, he laughed a little before adding "…and you must be Leah, the beautiful wolf huntress… Jacob told me great things about you…"

"Erm… Uh… Yes… I mean yes… I'm Leah… I don't know about what Jake told you though…" she finally spoke… The words coming out of her mouth without quite registering in her brain… "Wait, did you say something about being beautiful?"

This time, Nahuel and the others joined in on the laughter, as the dark-skinned half-vampire gallantly led her away from the door, to a more secluded area of the living room.

The only ones who didn't appear to have any trouble recovering from the wave of emotions that Jasper had unleashed upon them a minute earlier were Jacob and Quil, since having already imprinted on someone made it much easy for them to deal with it.

"Wow… Well, that was unexpected…" Alice said, smiling as she looked in the direction of Nahuel and Leah, who both seemed lost in their own world as they spoke and laughed with each other…

"In a way, that makes sense…" Jacob added, with a wide, happy smile…

"What?" Edward asked, walking towards the newly arrivals to great them, Renesmee in his arms.

"Well, Leah has always resented being the only female wolf, because she thought it meant that she wasn't fit to become someone else's imprint… That she was a genetic dead end. But if she hadn't been one of the wolves, she could never have imprinted on Nahuel, who is an immortal and will need someone who doesn't age by his side. That makes a lot of sense. Like everything happens for a reason…" he said, then realised that his theory fell short in Edward's case, who was left alone and completely miserable…

"That's okay Jake, I know you didn't mean it like that…" Edward said, having read his thoughts… "But you're right, and I'm happy for Leah too".

Meanwhile, Seth was explaining to Huilen the intricacies of werewolf imprinting, and what it would mean for Leah and Nahuel. The vampire decided to just leave them be for the evening, and to discuss it with her nephew later.

And so, the evening went on without any other major incident. Once the wolves' hunger had been thoroughly satisfied, they had played sports near the house, and social games, and talked… To an outsider, it would have looked like any other BBQ between long time friends, if it weren't for some of the wolves' and vampires' physical prowess.

Near the end of the evening, it occurred to Carlisle that Edward was nowhere to be found. He looked inside the house, but could not find or sense him. It was a beautiful evening, cool, without a cloud, full moon… Carlisle decided to go look for his son, but told Esme beforehand to make sure that no one would send a search party for them if they realised they were both missing. Besides, he had a pretty good idea of Edward's actual whereabouts. And, if he was right, he didn't want anyone else to disturb them.

His instincts proved right as he found Edward standing in the middle of the meadow, looking at the full moon, a pensive look on his face. Carlisle approached his son slowly, letting him know he was there, but not wanting to disturb his thoughts.

"It's okay… I wasn't thinking about much…" Edward said, still looking at the moon… "It's just that the house has been pretty full lately, and I thought that some peace and quiet might be nice… You can stay if you want…" he added, sitting on the ground, and motioning for Carlisle to come sit besides him.

The older vampire obliged, looking at his son as the moon cast some light on his features, and made his skin glow slightly. They stayed like this in silence for a few moments, until Edward spoke again…

"Do you think she's happy?" he asked, the question taking Carlisle by surprise…

"Bella…" Edward explained, sensing Carlisle's hesitation "…do you believe that Bella's happy… Where she is?" he asked again, unable to hide the sadness in his voice.

Instead of answering directly, Carlisle chose to answer him with another question "Why do you ask, son?"

Edward shrugged and looked at the ground, before raising his eyes and looking directly at his father's "You know how I've always believed in Heaven and Hell… Vampires being the immortal damned and all that…" Calisle nodded, looking back at him intently, urging him to go on.

"Well, what if I was wrong… You may think it's crazy but… What if there was more to death than just Heaven and Hell?… What if Bella didn't go to Heaven, like I've always believed she would, and is still stuck between worlds?…" he asked, noticing the deep shiver that just ran down Carlisle's spine.

"Ever since Bella died, I've had this strange feeling that something's wrong… No matter how hard I've tried to let it go, and move on for Nessie's sake, I just can't shake this feeling that Bella's suffering, and calling out to me. I know it sounds insane but…"

"It's not…" Carlisle interrupted in a whisper, breaking eye contact to look at the ground.

Edward's breath caught in his chest. "What do you mean…?" he asked, fearing what may come.

"You're not being crazy Edward… But I don't feel comfortable telling you all about it right now… Alice, Jasper, and Renesmee should be there to better explain it…" he said, hoping that his son would forgive them for having kept the matter hidden from him over the last two months.

"So, you _were_ hiding something…" Edward replied, his suspicions confirmed… But he couldn't bring himself to feel angry or betrayed… He trusted Carlisle and the others, so he simply assumed that they must have had their reasons.

"Why?" he simply asked, no accusation in his tone, as Carlisle finally brought his gaze back to meet his.

"Because at first, it was just bits of visions, glimpses… And since Alice has been unable to see werewolves because werewolves are not something that she's intimately familiar with, it seemed impossible to us that she would have visions from…"

"…beyond…" Edward finished for him. Carlisle nodded.

"We had to test the validity of her visions and try to figure out what they meant before risking to cause you any more heartache… I'll go back to the house, and tell the others what I've told you… As soon as the wolves leave, we'll provide you with any answer you need…"

"Thanks…" Edward whispered "…I'll join you there in a few…"

He watched his father leave, and then resumed watching the moon, letting the cool air run on his skin and calm his senses…

_Oh Bella…_ he thought sadly …_where are you?_

_**To be continued…**_

_**

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**_

**Author's note...**

Hey guys!

I just wanted to say _**THANK YOU**_ for all the great reviews I've received so far! : ) I really appreciate it!

Thanks for reading, and I hope you'll enjoy the next chapters just as much!

Big hugs!

Amélie

X X X


	11. Chapter 9

**From Beyond V****isions…**

by _The Lost Girl_

_SPOILERS:_ Everything up to Book Three of "Breaking Dawn", and part of book three (regarding certain characters).

_SUMMARY:_ Bella didn't survive childbirth, and now the Cullens and the wolves have to deal with the repercussions… But when Alice starts having unusual visions, they will have to make a choice that will change their family, and their perception of themselves, forever…

_DISCLAIMERS:_ All the characters in the story belong to Stephanie Meyer and whoever else has the right on the Twilight series.

_AUTHOR'S NOTE:_ Please keep in mind that I strongly believe that suicide/death is NEVER the answer. This is a work of fiction, and fiction alone. If you suffer from depression, or are having any kind of suicidal thoughts, I strongly suggest that you read something else, and seek help in your community (friends, family, psychologist, doctor, etc.). Thank you! : )

* * *

**From Beyond V****isions…**

**Chapter 9**

When he came back to his house, a few hours before dawn, Edward found that everything had been cleaned, and they were all waiting for him in the living room. To allow them more privacy, Nahuel and Huilen were going to stay at the Clearwater's house for the rest of the night. So it only left his immediate family and Jacob, who was now, according to them, becoming a Cullen as much as he was a wolf. They had a werewolf in their family, while a werewolf family was welcoming a vampire and a half-vampire for the night in their home in La Push… If, less than a year ago, someone had dared make such a prediction to either clan, they would probably have laughed!

But here they were… All of it because Edward had fallen in love with a wonderful human girl that had come into their lives, and completely changed their world into a much more colourful, and beautiful one. But, like in so many tragic love stories, it seemed that peace, once again, had come with a price… And it was a price that, once again, had to be paid by the lovers…

Edward took the seat that they had left open for him on the sofa, with Jasper and Jacob on either side of him. Jacob was carrying Renesmee on his laps, and she kept watching her father with large, expecting eyes, eager to finally share her thoughts with him.

Since no one was talking, and the silence was becoming uncomfortable, Carlisle decided to start…

"Edward, as I was explaining to you earlier in the meadow, after Bella died, Alice has been experiencing strange visions that were not connected to what she usually would see. These visions not only pictured potential future events, but these events were shown from a perspective that was entirely new to her. At first, we didn't quite know what to make of it… But it seemed that everything she saw came true…" he said, motioning for Alice and/or Jasper to continue…

"But even though we had proof that my visions weren't somehow fabricated, we couldn't understand where they were meant to lead us…" she said, right before Jasper took over.

"You see, on the day that Bella died, and the days that followed, I couldn't help but feel very strong emotions coming from someone else in the house… Someone I couldn't see, and someone whose pain and longing was just as strong, and as potent as yours… The more troubling part was that I recognised to whom these emotions would normally belong to. You see, all of us share the ability to feel joy, fear, pain, happiness in a similar way, but the emotions one feel still carry a certain signature to them. It's very subtle, but it's there, and there's only one person that I knew that could ever feel that way…" he said, letting his words sink in, in an effort not to overwhelm Edward.

By the end of Jasper's speech, Edward had closed his eyes, and forced himself to take long, deep breaths in an effort to stay calm. He could feel Jasper's influence as he too tried to help him remain in control of his emotions, and he was grateful for it.

"So, are you saying that you two have been seeing and feeling Bella? That she's still here?" he asked, his voice both hopeful and afraid… Jasper had told them that the vibes he'd gotten from her were feelings of pain, and the thought of his Bella still in pain while he was powerless to help her was simply unbearable…

"I think it will be easier for you to see…" Alice said… "Ready?" she asked taking her brother's hand into her own, and waiting for him to give her the signal before entirely opening her mind to him.

When he finally did, and Edward tried to read her, he was assaulted by images from the last two months, with one very important difference…

He saw himself lying on his bed, staring mindlessly in the distance while Bella was lying next to him, trying to touch him but failing miserably, her hand going through his face or his body every time, and crying with each failed effort.

He saw himself playing at the piano; Bella watching him with an expression that conveyed so much longing and sadness, that Edward felt his heart break into a thousand pieces… In the vision, Nessie started crying and Jasper had to leave the room as Bella's sadness threatened to overpower him.

In the next visions, he saw Nessie showing her drawings to Bella, who at some point began making some funny faces while she talked with her daughter, making her laugh.

Each and every single day, ever since she died, Bella had been with them, looking in from the outside, apparently unable to communicate with any of them except for Nessie.

When they broke the connection, Edward was in shock… He didn't know what or how to feel… Relief that she was still there, in one form or another; anger at the Fates for having been cruel enough to take her from them, yet force her to witness everything she was missing without taking part in it; heartache that though some part of him had felt her, she'd still been unable to touch him or fully get his attention; pain, sadness…

He also realised that over the last few weeks, one of the things that had kept him going was the belief that wherever she was, Bella would be in a beautiful, and peaceful place. Away from all the pain and heartache that this world may bring. And now that he'd just found out she wasn't, his first impulse was to run to her. Find her, shower her with love, and make sure that she would never EVER have to shed a tear again…

"Daddy…" his daughter said, bringing him back to the present time… "There's also something I'd like you to see…"

He nodded, and let Renesmee's hand move to his cheek. Though he didn't need the physical connection to sense her thoughts, he took some comfort from the feeling of her warm hand on his cool cheek, and closed his eyes.

Watching from his daughter's perspective, he saw Bella comfort her while she was still lying in her crib, telling her daughter how much she loved her, and that she wouldn't break her promise… She would always be there to watch over her.

He watched her as she explained that it wasn't her fault that she died, and tried to convince Nessie that Daddy wasn't angry at her, just sad… And that he also loved her very much.

He watched Bella break down, cry, and confide in her daughter that although she knew that she should probably let go of Edward, and allow him to move on, she found herself being unable to do so… Every time she'd tried, it felt as if her soul was burning or being torn apart. She needed and craved his presence just like a drowning woman needed and craved air… He was a part of her and there was nothing she could do about it… Worse, every time she'd tried to move away from him, she'd seen Edward hurting too… So far, he had been able to function only when she was near.

Then, she quickly tried to dry up her tears and asked Renesmee to forgive her for saying such things, as she thought she shouldn't show her anguish to her child, nor place her in a position where the roles were reversed and she was the one who needed comforting. But Nessie had been the only one Bella had been able to directly communicate with since her death.

When she was done showing her memories through her thoughts, Renesmee broke the connection, and Edward slowly opened his eyes to look into his daughter's. Hers were filled with tears, as his own would have been if he'd been able to produce any…

"I think Mommy needs you…" she said in a very small, tearful voice. "…maybe even more than I need you…"

Edward didn't know what to do or what to say… All of this was being a little much for him to take in… So he embraced his daughter, and held her close to his chest as she quietly cried with him…

"Edward… There's one last vision I need you to see…" Alice said, her voice breaking with emotions… "It came while Carlisle and you were in the meadow…"

_**To be continued…**_

_**

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**_**Author's note: **

I have to give some extra points to JacobAPotter for guessing that "ghost Bella" was responsible for the strange happenings around the house, and also for Edward feeling more at peace by the end of chapter 5 (Yes, Bella was near, and trying to comfort him). : )

I have to admit that I'm feeling a little nervous with this chapter though, as it seems that expectations have been running quite high regarding the subject of Alice's visions… I just hope that no one will be disappointed (well, at least not too much! ; b).

Big Hugs!

Amélie

X X X


	12. Chapter 10

**From Beyond V****isions…**

by _The Lost Girl_

_SPOILERS:_ Everything up to Book Three of "Breaking Dawn", and part of book three (regarding certain characters).

_SUMMARY:_ Bella didn't survive childbirth, and now the Cullens and the wolves have to deal with the repercussions… But when Alice starts having unusual visions, they will have to make a choice that will change their family, and their perception of themselves, forever…

_DISCLAIMERS:_ All the characters in the story belong to Stephanie Meyer and whoever else has the right on the Twilight series.

_AUTHOR'S NOTE:_ Please keep in mind that I strongly believe that suicide/death is NEVER the answer. This is a work of fiction, and fiction alone. If you suffer from depression, or are having any kind of suicidal thoughts, I strongly suggest that you read something else, and seek help in your community (friends, family, psychologist, doctor, etc.). Thank you! : )

* * *

**From Beyond V****isions…**

**Chapter 10**

Edward found himself back in the meadow… A gentle mist surrounding him, as the wind blew what sounded like whispers in the air… There was a beautiful ray of light from the sky above shining down on the middle of the field, as some of the rays caught in the mist and produced two beautiful rainbows… He recognised the place, but there was something eerie about it… Surreal…

As he walked towards the light, he saw that someone was coming to meet him, but the light was still blinding him. Squinting and trying to block some of the light with his hand, he could finally make out the shape of what seemed to be a woman… Her brown hair billowing in the wind…

Suddenly, she noticed him, and broke into a run… For some reason unbeknown to him, Edward started running also… As she got nearer and nearer, he could finally see her… Her gorgeous chocolate eyes… The long mahogany hair… The beautiful smile that graced her lips and seemed to grow larger and larger as the distance between them was coming to a close… Bella… His Bella…

They almost crashed into each others, tears of joy and relief running down their cheeks… As they started showering each other with kisses and murmuring sweet nothings, Edward suddenly noticed that his skin wasn't as pale as usual, and his eyes were a deep, vibrant shade of green…

Breaking the connection, he looked deep into his sister's eyes… "How?" he asked, the vision still burning in his head.

"Well… In the vision, I think you died and…" she began, slightly confused by his question.

"No… I mean yes… That much is obvious but… I mean how did that happen?"

Alice frowned "What do you mean?"

"Okay, so while Carlisle was speaking with me in the meadow, you got a vision of me apparently being dead and meeting Bella in some kind of afterlife… What I'm asking you is how did this happen? When was the decision made? How do I go from being _here_ to _there_? Do you have anything more you can show us?" he asked, surprising everyone with how rationally he seemed to be taking the situation.

"I don't know…" Alice replied honestly "…this is all I've got…" she admitted, while she tried to concentrate to get some more details "…maybe the decision regarding the"how" hasn't been made yet… Maybe the future is still shifting… It's the first time I've had a vision of something happening beyond our world, so it's kind of hard for me to go into the specifics…" she tried to explain, looking at the others for support.

"So, let me get this right… When Carlisle decided to finally tell me what was going on, somehow, it set something in motion that will result in me dying and finding Bella again…" he said, trying to come to grasp with was he'd been shown "…what I don't get though is, who and what took the decision?"

Carlisle looked at his son carefully, then decided to try something. "Edward, tell me, do you want to die?"

"Not particularly, no…" his son replied, surprised by how easily the answer had come out of his mouth "…as I have no real desire to leave you all, especially Renesmee…" he clarified.

"But would you be ready to die if it was the only way for you to help Bella?" he asked again, watching Edward's reaction carefully.

Edward looked down for a moment, thinking about what Carlisle had just asked him, and remembered the pain he'd had to endure over the last 2 months… Now that he knew that Bella was suffering just as much or perhaps even more than he was, he knew that there would be no way for him to bear it. He had to find a way to help her, even if it meant he would have to sacrifice everything else. And if his life was what he would have to give…

"I would do it in an instant…" he finally answered, looking back at his father. "If Bella's soul can't be at peace if I'm not there… I would do anything to find her…"

"Then I believe that you have the answer to your question…" Carlisle simply said, looking both thoughtful, and resigned.

"Wait… Are we really talking about this?" Rosalie asked "Are we actually discussing the possibility of Edward dying? And we _letting him _die?"

"I don't know…" Jasper replied, the whole meeting feeling suddenly very unreal to him… "I don't know if this is really about death anymore… All I know is that I love both Edward and Bella… And I wouldn't wish the pain that they are both experiencing on any one… If the only way to free them from it is to let them go..."

"I don't want my Mommy and Daddy to hurt…" Nessie said, crying as Jacob did his best to comfort her.

"I really don't know…" the werewolf said "…I'm actually beginning to really like you… It all just seems so unfair…" he said, fighting back tears of his own.

"And here I thought I was the dumbass you loved?" Edward told him with a wink, trying to relieve some of the tension in the room, as it was starting to suffocate him.

Jacob managed to laugh a little through the tears "…Yeah, that too…" he said while playfully punching him on the shoulder.

"How about we just take the next day to get some rest, and think about it…" Carlisle suggested, noting that Renesmee was about to fall unconscious on Jacob's shoulder "…perhaps Alice will get new visions until then that will help us see this through…"

"Gee… No pressure…" Alice muttered, feeling enough weight on her shoulders as it was... But Carlisle was right. Now that Edward knew, all of them should be able to figure something out.

"Alright…" Edward said, and then looked over to Jacob… "Jake, do you mind if I borrow my daughter for the night?"

"Not at all…" he replied, handing her over. Nessie yawned as she settled herself comfortably into her father's arm, already half asleep.

"You can stay and sleep in our room… I think we'll go hunting for the rest of the night…" Alice offered.

Jacob smiled back and said "Thanks…" before turning into a wolf and heading upstairs.

As everyone left to go their own way, Edward went back to his room and put Renesmee in the large bed, before settling himself next to her.

He kept his eyes on her while she slept, his mind racing to make sense of what he'd been shown, while trying to find a solution to both his and Bella's situation. Each time he tried, he was brought back to the vision of the meadow… And to the warmth and the peace that emanated from it… He found himself longing and wishing for it. His whole being was aching to be near Bella again… To be able to touch and feel her, no barriers between them.

But how would he be able to leave his daughter…

_**To be continued…**_


	13. Chapter 11

**From Beyond V****isions…**

by _The Lost Girl_

_SPOILERS:_ Everything up to Book Three of "Breaking Dawn", and part of book three (regarding certain characters).

_SUMMARY:_ Bella didn't survive childbirth, and now the Cullens and the wolves have to deal with the repercussions… But when Alice starts having unusual visions, they will have to make a choice that will change their family, and their perception of themselves, forever…

_DISCLAIMERS:_ All the characters in the story belong to Stephanie Meyer and whoever else has the right on the Twilight series.

_AUTHOR'S NOTE:_ Please keep in mind that I strongly believe that suicide/death is NEVER the answer. This is a work of fiction, and fiction alone. If you suffer from depression, or are having any kind of suicidal thoughts, I strongly suggest that you read something else, and seek help in your community (friends, family, psychologist, doctor, etc.). Thank you! : )

* * *

**From Beyond V****isions…**

**Chapter 11**

"Hi Mr. Black… Sorry to be bothering you so early but… Would you mind if I came in?"

Of all the people who would come knocking on his door, especially around 8h00 in the morning, Edward Cullen was probably one of the ones that Billy Black least expected. Not that he minded having the vampire coming to visit him… After all, Edward was the father of his Jacob's Nessie, and he was well aware that the two boys (if you could refer to a 100 + vampire as a "boy") were now becoming rather good friends… What puzzled him though, is what could he have to offer to the vampire that could justify such an early visit?

He must have been staring because Edward was looking at his feet, and shifting his weight from one leg to the other.

"Yes… I'm sorry Edward… Please do come in…" he said, pushing his wheelchair out of the way, while holding the door open for him with the back wheel.

"Thank you Mr. Black, I really appreciate…" Edward said, stepping in. He waited for Billy to motion for him to go sit in the living room, while he closed the door, and came to join him.

Edward took a seat on one of the sofas, so that they would both be more comfortable, and able to talk at eye level. "Mr. Black…" he began, only to be interrupted by the other man.

"Please, call me Billy… For some reason, I can't adapt to the fact that although you look in your late teens, you're old enough to be my father…" he said, laughing and marvelling at the fact that although Edward looked 17, his father and him had met when Carlisle had negotiated the first treaty. "…So if you allow me to call you Edward, I would feel much more comfortable if, in return, you called me Billy".

Edward smiled back "Alright Billy…" he said, his voice warm and sounding more relaxed. "I don't know how to ask you this or… If it is even in my right to ask…. Surely none of you have ever shared such things with a "Cold One" before…" he said, referring to the name the Quileutes had given to his race "…but as you've probably guessed, Bella shared with me some parts of the stories that she heard that night around the campfire…"

Billy nodded and said "Go on…", urging the vampire to continue.

"So I was wondering if you could take a few moments of your time to share the stories of your people with me", he finally said, watching Billy Black's reaction closely.

For a few instants, Jacob's father stayed silent, his face deep in thoughts. Edward was right, never had the stories of his people been directly revealed to a vampire… However, Edward and his family had proven times and times over that they were not the enemy. Two half-vampires were even now the subject of imprinting. Times were changing, and evolving. Though he'd asked his father to keep it a secret, Jacob had even told him that the Cullens didn't smell as bad to him as they did in a beginning. As if his sense of smell was adapting and learning to recognise them as allies, and not foes. Not to mention that there was something in Edward's eyes that was telling him that this was very important to him…

"Alright…" Billy finally said… "…just let me go make myself a tea and I'll be right with you… Is there anything I can get you, because you may just be here for a while…" he said, noticing the grateful smile that appeared on Edward's lips.

"No, thank you… And thank you for doing this… You have no idea how much it means to me…"

And so, for the very first time, Billy Black told the stories of the origins of his tribe's powers to a "Cold One". Edward listened attentively as he told him the tale of the first spirit warriors, Kaheleha, Taha Aki and the 3rd wife... Though Edward had already gotten bits and pieces from Bella, hearing it directly from Billy was something else. He found himself completely captivated by his storytelling… Especially now that it seemed much more believable to him.

When he was finished, Edward let out a small, humourless laugh… "What?" Billy asked, wondering what was troubling him.

"I was born in 1901, and raised a Christian… And never in my life before have had I thoroughly questioned the validity or nature of Christian faith… Even as a vampire, I was convinced that we had been stripped of our souls when we died, and became some sort of soulless demon…" he said, a half-smile, beginning to form on his lips "…but now, after hearing the stories of your people, and after having seen what I've seen, I'm starting to truly believe that you guys had it right from the start…"

"Edward, is there something else you'd like to share with me?" he asked, his curiosity awakened by the vampire's strange statement.

So Edward then proceeded to tell him about the events from last night… What Alice's visions and Nessie's memories had shown him, and the feelings that Jasper had said Bella was still experiencing.

"So, you see… There seems to truly be a spirit world between the world of the living and the land of the dead. Perhaps a world without suffering and where you can finally be reunited with your loved ones do exist, but there also seems to be a way for a soul to stay in this world as a spirit, and influence some parts of it", he explained.

"Edwards, what I told you are legends and beliefs of our people… But I can't guarantee you that everything from them is true…"

"No, but the fact still remains that your people are shape shifters, and the tales explaining their origin make more sense to me than any other theories I've heard…" he said, trying to figure out if there was any way to use this knowledge to help Bella.

"Yes, but unfortunately, we are not spirit warriors anymore…" Billy Black said, echoing his thoughts "…and I don't know how the warriors of old were able to leave their bodies and then come back to it… The Quileutes have evolved, and though the magic in our blood and our history remains, we are no longer who and what we once were…"

"So what do you think I should do?"

"I don't know Edward…" Billy said with a sigh "…Bella seems to be tied to this world by a promise she made to both you and Renesmee… Perhaps this promise was strong and passionate enough for her to keep an open link with her daughter…"

"I also promised my daughter that I would always watch over her… And I know that there is nothing in the Universe that would keep me away from fulfilling this promise…" Edward said, starting to understand where the other man was aiming at.

"Then perhaps you have it within your soul to both save Bella, and remain faithful to the vows you made to your daughter…" Billy suggested "…Human, vampire, or werewolf, who we are is more than just flesh; or else there would be no shape shifters. And I believe that a spirit can be strong enough to take flesh, when given the right incentive…"

"You mean like Taha Haki who was able to show his spirit self after joining with the wolf for that second time…" Edward pointed out, deep in thoughts.

"That is one example. He had just witnessed the death of one of his people at Utlapa's hand, and feared for the fate of the others. The rage and passion he felt made it possible for him to take human form after joining with the wolf's body".

Edward nodded and thought about this for a few seconds… If what Billy Black was saying was real, then there would surely be a way for him and Bella to somehow return to his family, in one way or another…

But what if it failed, and Bella and him found themselves forever trapped between worlds?...

_**To be continued…**_


	14. Chapter 12

**From Beyond V****isions…**

by _The Lost Girl_

_SPOILERS:_ Everything up to Book Three of "Breaking Dawn", and part of book three (regarding certain characters).

_SUMMARY:_ Bella didn't survive childbirth, and now the Cullens and the wolves have to deal with the repercussions… But when Alice starts having unusual visions, they will have to make a choice that will change their family, and their perception of themselves, forever…

_DISCLAIMERS:_ All the characters in the story belong to Stephanie Meyer and whoever else has the right on the Twilight series.

_AUTHOR'S NOTE:_ Please keep in mind that I strongly believe that suicide/death is NEVER the answer. This is a work of fiction, and fiction alone. If you suffer from depression, or are having any kind of suicidal thoughts, I strongly suggest that you read something else, and seek help in your community (friends, family, psychologist, doctor, etc.). Thank you! : )

* * *

**From Beyond V****isions…**

**Chapter 12**

Alice was lying in Jasper's arms, both of them naked and covered by a blanket of moss and leaves, as they watched the sunrise together… She heard him sigh contentedly, and took the opportunity to snuggle even closer against his chest… Both of them felt completely sated in every way…

For some reason, the mountain lions' population had almost tripled in the area since Renesmee's birth. They had even started teasing Edward about it, accusing him of destroying the balance in their territory's ecosystem by not hunting as much as he used to.

For some reason, Jacob preferred game meat, and apparently, his food preference had started to rub off on Renesmee. Since Edward almost exclusively hunted with his daughter now, he didn't drink as much mountain lion's blood as he used to. Even so, their rise in number seemed a little uncanny.

After kissing their parents, siblings, and niece goodnight, Alice and Jasper had gone hunting together, hoping to clear their minds of the evening's events, and deeply needing to be alone together for a couple of hours. Somehow, what was happening to Edward and Bella kept reminding them of just how precious and fragile life was, and how lucky they were to share it with their love…

So, after drinking more than their fill of mountain lion's blood (there you go Edward, at least SOMEONE's doing your job!), they had torn their clothes from each other's body in a blend of passion, love and frenzy, and made love until every muscle in their vampire bodies hurt…

At some point, Jasper couldn't tell who was feeling what… They were swept away into waves and waves of unconditional love, overwhelming adoration, and a powerful need to drown themselves in the other's presence… They just "were"… Alice and Jasper… Two pieces of some wonderful and glorious whole…

Though the emotion was still there, and stronger then ever, the physical need to express it eventually calmed down as their body became more and more tired, and now they were happy to simply lay there, in each other's arms, sharing a few kisses, playful bites, and tender words here and there, welcoming the beginning of a new day.

A few hours later, they were once again deep in thoughts, Alice trying to get more clue through her visions, and Jasper still contemplating what he'd felt coming from both Edward and Bella over the last two months…

"I would follow you too you know…" he finally said, breaking the silence, with a voice so soft only a vampire could have heard him whisper…

"What?" Alice asked with a slight jolt, his words having caught her by surprise before she got the time to think them through…

He delicately turned her around on his laps, so that they were now looking at each other, Alice's legs wrapped loosely around his waist, as he stared deep into her eyes. Her breath caught in her chest as she saw and felt the intensity behind his gaze… For a moment, all she could do was stare back at him, mesmerised… Jasper was always very introverted when it came to his own feelings… Perhaps since he was used to having to control every one else's effect on him to avoid being entirely overcome.

So whenever she got this look in his eyes, Alice knew that he considered what he had to tell her very important… For he was completely lowering his defences, letting her in without reserve.

"If you died… I wouldn't want to be left behind…" Jasper told her sincerely, his whole expression showing just how much the simple prospect of being separated from his love was unbearable to him…

"Don't talk like that…" Alice immediately replied, shocked that he was telling her about the eventuality of him killing himself "…think of our family, they would need you so much… And what about Esme and Carl…"

"Alice STOP!" Jasper said gently but firmly, surprising her, and making her stop her speech mid-sentence.

"Do you hear what you're saying? We may have chosen to live like a human family but the truth is we are not one… When we lose the one we love, we don't have death to look forward to… We can't find solace in the fact that less than a hundred years from now, we will be once again reunited, and thus find the courage to enjoy whatever time we have left before it happens. All a vampire has to look forward to is eternity stretched out before him… Knowing it can be hundreds or thousands of years before his time comes…"

"So what do you want me to say? Tell you I'm pleased to learn that you want to kill yourself?" Alice replied, shaken "Give you my blessing to die?" she said, her voice trembling with the strength of her emotions…

"No… It's not that simple, and it's not about forsaking life. It's about having the right to choose when one's path ends…", he said softly, running his hands across Alice's back in a soothing motion, trying to calm her shaking without the use of his powers… "It seems vampires don't talk about what they would do if they lost their mate because the very thought of being separated from each other is both terrifying and downright unbearable… And when we do, we go by the human standards we were taught while still mortal".

"So, are you saying that you would be okay with me killing myself if you were ever to die?" Alice asked, having calmed down a little, and feeling more inclined to acknowledge the subject. She was finally allowing herself to connect emotionally with what Jasper was trying to tell her, which he thought was a very big step.

"Alice… I'm the oldest one of our family save for Carlisle… I've lived close to the length of 2 human lifetimes already… And I've always had a hard time to come to terms with what I am… As a matter of fact, I still do. I've spent most of my life fighting… In the civil war… Against newborns… And especially, against myself… My own instincts that, for some reason, seem to be stronger than anyone else's…"

As he spoke, Alice lovingly put a hand against his cheek, and she felt him lean into her touch and close his eyes for a moment, savouring the peace she brought to his tortured mind… She smiled, happy to know that she had that effect on him…

"That day you introduced yourself and reprimanded me for keeping you waiting was the most significant day of my life… A turning point from which there was no coming back. Everything changed for me that day, and I knew that every bit of hurt I may have experienced before had been worth it. Ever since, I've been happy with the knowledge that I have someone to share my world with… Someone who can see past the scars I carry and love the man I am… Someone I never have to protect myself from…" he said, his eyes showing so much love and gratitude that Alice was having trouble breathing normally… If she could have cried, she would have.

"Alice, I love you… I love you like I've never loved anything or anyone in my whole existence… You bring more joy, fantasy, and happiness into my life than I would ever be able to describe… To me, you are what the word "life" means. And I know that I would never be able to stand by while my own life ends… Not when I know that by leaving this world for another, I could discover new ways of living with you… So yes, I would die to ensure that my life with you would continue, because I wouldn't be able to exist otherwise… Not without becoming the cold, hard, unfeeling ghost some of the Volturi elders have become…" by the end of Jasper's speech, Alice was back in his arms, holding him as close to herself as she could without breaking him, sobbing heavily, though she didn't know if she was crying from sadness, or because of the fact that what her love had just said touched her to the very core of her being…

"So, to answer you question… If I were ever to die first… I would wish for you to keep enjoying your life with our family if you can, and for however long you need to… And if you met someone who could make you happy, I'd wish for you to take that chance… Just know that the day you would be ready to cross over, I'd be there… Always… Waiting and watching… And if, for some reason that I can't explain, you feel the same way I do about you, then I would never hold it against you to join me, as long as it is your choice, and you wouldn't have any regrets about it…" he whispered in her ear, and she could hear just how sincere and pure his love for her was…

As if it wasn't enough, he projected his feelings for her and in that instant, Alice knew… If there was ever a place that she would be able to call "home", it was right here… With him… She had no memories of her human life, and Jasper had been the first person she'd ever felt like she truly belonged to… Before the Cullens, before anyone or anything else… First, there was Jasper…

He was at the very center of her Universe, and while they both had strong attachments towards their father, mother, niece, brothers and sisters, he was what she kept looking forward to every single day of her life. He was home, he was love, he was complicity, he was intimacy, he was happiness, he was understanding, he was tenderness, he was safety… All she'd ever needed or wanted was there, all inside of him. All in one man to love and to hold for eternity…

"I understand…" she said, her voice trembling with emotion, and went back to a sitting position, so that she, too, could look at him while she spoke. "…What doesn't make any sense though is for you to even consider that I wouldn't feel as strongly for you as you feel for me…" she said, then smiled teasingly "…quite the empath your are…"

Jasper let out a slight laugh, then said "…You know I wouldn't allow myself to feel your emotions without giving you the chance to express them first, or you giving me access…"

Alice nodded, and kissed him passionately, running her hands through his hair… "Is that access enough for you?" she asked, her forehead coming to rest against his… "Jasper, I love you… You are the most beautiful and brave soul I've ever met, and I don't ever want to either leave you behind, or let you leave this existence alone either…"

"You don't have to do it for me…" Jasper started to object, but Alice cut him off before he had a chance to go any further.

"Let me rephrase that… The reason I don't want to leave you behind or let you go is not because I would feel bad for you, but because I wouldn't be able to stand it… Actually, there is nothing I fear more in the world than being taken away from you… Whether it would be death, the Volturi, or anything else's fault. So now that we both made it clear that we want to be together, no matter the where or how… Jasper… Would you marry me?" she said, looking up at him expectantly…

"Again?" he asked, surprised… Being from the 1800's, part of him had trouble processing that Alice had just asked HIM to marry HER, not to mention that they were already married…

"Yes, I believe that a ceremony would be a nice way to renew and even deepen our engagement towards each other… Plus the family would probably appreciate to have some happy event to look forward to in the future… Not to mention there's this gorgeous designer wedding dress that I've been dying to try on…" Alice eyes sparkled with mirth as she started to describe it…

Jasper laughed, amazed by how quickly his little pixie could go from one deeply emotional subject, and then become engrossed in her passion for shopping…

"…and of course, Rosalie would look so beautiful with the green maid of honour dress I saw… Well, her being Rosalie would look beautiful in anything…" she went on…

"Yes" Jasper said, Alice looked at him, confused… He laughed again…

"Yes Alice, I will marry you…" and watched as it finally dawned on her that he hadn't even given his answer yet…

They both started laughing, and then wrestling playfully with each other as Jasper tried to tickle Alice, and Alice kept moving away every time at the right moment, having seen him move before he actually did.

"I give up!" he finally said, "There's no way I'll get you unless you let me!"

"I let you get me plenty of times…" she pointed out.

"And I'm definitely not complaining about that…" he began, as she elbowed him playfully in the ribs, a mock "shocked face" on.

Then it was over, and Jasper grew more sombre… "This still doesn't tell us what we're going to do about Edward and Bella's situation… Or actually what he should do about it…"

"No…" Alice acknowledged "and I've yet to see anything of use…"

She paused, then added "It's almost noon… Maybe we should head back to the house and see how the others are doing…"

Jasper nodded, and stood up, going to gather their…

He stopped suddenly, with an embarrassed look on his face…

"Hmmm… Alice… Think you can have a vision of where we left our clothes in the forest?"

_**To be continued…**_


	15. Author's note Important

**Hi,**

**I hope you are all doing well, and won't attack me for not having updated my story in such a long time… Lol! : )**

**As I've written before, there is NO WAY (short of death) that I'll ever let this story unfinished! Lol! I have the next few chapters carefully laid out in my mind, and know exactly where I'm going with this.**

**In December 2009, I was diagnosed with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis… Commonly known as "Chronic Fatigue Syndrome".**

**M.E./C.F.S. is an acquired, severely debilitating neurological syndrome that affects all body systems, and causes injuries / dysfunctions especially to the neurological, endocrine, and immune system.**

**It's main symptoms are:**

**- cognitive dysfunction, including impaired memory or concentration;**

**- postexertional malaise lasting more than 24 hours (exhaustion and increased symptoms) following physical or mental exercise;**

**- unrefreshing sleep;**

**- joint pain (without redness or swelling);**

**- persistent muscle pain;**

**- headaches of a new type or severity;**

**- tender cervical or axillary lymph nodes;**

**- sore throat;**

**- irritable bowel, abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea or bloating;**

**- chills and night sweats;**

**- brain fog;**

**- chest pain;**

**- shortness of breath;**

**- chronic cough;**

**- visual disturbances (blurring, sensitivity to light, eye pain or dry eyes);**

**- allergies or sensitivities to foods, alcohol, odors, chemicals, medications or noise;**

**- difficulty maintaining upright position (orthostatic instability, irregular heartbeat, dizziness, balance problems or fainting);**

**- psychological problems (depression, irritability, mood swings, anxiety, panic attacks);**

**- jaw pain;**

**- weight loss or gain.**

**It all started after I had mononucleosis in August 2006, from which I never fully recovered. New health problems kept adding up until the point where I was unable to function at more than 20% of what I would normally be able to do, and had to stop working one year ago.**

**Unfortunately, it kept getting worse ever since.**

**I can no longer go out, because a simple ride in a car makes my whole nervous system go into "sensory overload", and crash (the vibrations from the car, the noise from the engine and the climatisation, the light of the sun, the motions of the car (turning, accelerating, stopping, etc.) the visual stimuli from seeing other people or car moving from my window, are just too much!).**

**I can't hold a conversation if there is music in the background, as my brain won't be able to concentrate on only one of the two things that are going on at the same time (so I can't be in a place where there is more than one conversation happening at the same time either).**

**In term of physical and mental energy, it's as if I had a severe case of influenza 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.**

**If I try to push myself a little too much (ex: keep trying to finish the chapter of a book once I've reached my activity tolerance limit), I start shaking, vomiting, the whole world is spinning, I can't organise my thoughts, etc. And it will take me at least 1 week to recover.**

**The sad thing is that most physicians don't know anything about ME/CFS, more less how to treat it (if they are even willing to consider that your symptoms aren't psychosomatic)… So basically, once the diagnosis is made, you are on your own.**

**In Quebec (where I live), it is estimated that there are 3 times as much people who suffer from ME/CFS than those who suffer from multiple sclerosis (fortunately, not all of those who have ME/CFS are as ill as I am… Though some are bedbound and near paralysed).**

**And yet, there are no specialists in Montreal who accept to evaluate and treat those affected (according to Dr. Phaneuf), and virtually no resources put in place to help us.**

**Over the last few months, I've spent most of my "able to function" free time reviewing scientific literature on ME/CFS, and trying to find therapeutic approaches that may help relieve some of my symptoms.**

**The fact that I'm a clinician nurse helps bunches! But at the same time, I've been left completely dazed by just how much everyone in the medical community seems to have a different opinion on the matter! It's crazy!**

**Some believe that ME/CFS is caused by a retrovirus (XMRV, pretty interesting recent findings on that one)… Some will even go as far as to say that it is simply another manifestation of the retrovirus involved in AIDS…**

**(Good thing the Canadian government has banned us from their blood donor list BTW!)**

**Others believe that excessive prolonged stress (mental, physical, and/or environmental) triggered a pathological response from the hypothalamus, that is then being maintained by the body…**

**Some will say that it is a psychosomatic disorder, or another form of depression…**

**(Perhaps those should read Lynn Gilderdale's story…****)**

**There is no consensus in the medical world regarding what causes it, how to evaluate it, and how to treat it!**

**After much research, I finally found a physician in Ottawa who has devoted his career since 1984 to "finding what's wrong" in ME/CFS patients, and making sure that they have the right diagnosis.**

**His name is Dr. Byron Hyde, from the Nightingale Research Foundation.**

**The waiting list to become a patient is 1 to 2 years… But at least, it has given me some hope that someone might be able to pinpoint what exactly is wrong with me, and help me find treatment.**

**In one patient who had received the ME/CFS diagnosis, he was able to identify 20 different known pathologies.**

**So anyway, the reason why I'm writing this is, first, to raise awareness towards Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and the people who suffer from it.**

**But also, to let you know why I've had more difficulties to be consistent with the updates, as I am also fighting very hard to understand my condition, and find appropriate help.**

**I happen to be a very optimistic and overall happy person with a strong hunger for life. I also live with a wonderful partner who's been caring for me, cooking my meals, and giving me considerable support ever since I became too ill to take care of myself.**

**And I have the most adorable parrot companion in the world… Lol! His name is Willow, and he fills my life with incredible joy!**

**I have so much to fight for! And also so much to be thankful for! In 25 years (the age I was when I first began getting sick) I've traveled and enjoyed life perhaps more than some will ever be given the opportunity to in an entire lifetime. I have dreams, but no regrets. How can I not consider myself blessed?**

**On a more positive note, I have also developed a slight obsession with the RPG games "Dragon Age: Origins", "Dragon Age: Awakening", as well as David Gaider's books (that are prequels to the game) lately… And may be sharing time writing stories for both "Dragon Age" and the "Twilight" universes.**

**Once again, my deepest thanks to those of you who have enjoyed this story so far, and/or have taken the time to review it! I'll do my very best not to keep you waiting too long.**

**Imagination is truly a wonderful place to visit when you can't travel anywhere else… Lol! ; b**

**Big Hugs!**

**Amélie**

**(The Lost Girl)**

**X X X**


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